Innocence
by Ruemaja
Summary: TWEWY JoshuaNeku If one day, we should ever be anything else other than ourselves, what would you like to be?
1. Chapter 1

Hello. Haven't posted here in a while.

This is the last fic I'll be posting under the premise that Joshua was erased and Joshua gave Neku memories of them being together. There's a new Composer called "Emiya" in this fic and he's Joshua's successor. Joshua and Neku sort of lived together at the WildKat Cafe that Hanekoma left for him. Shibuya sometimes physically manifests itself as a little girl although she can probably take other forms as well. Odd things have been happening for quite a while now.

This is set a little bit before and during the second part of "Favors and Promises." But it would be best if that one was read first. I have a livejournal Fic Blog where I'll be posting them in order under the title "Cadenza".

Joshua the cat doesn't belong to me. He belongs to Luciana Costa. :)

TWEWY doesn't belong to me.

Please be warned this is a JoshuaNeku fic. Thank you very much.

* * *

**"Innocence"**

**Chapter One**

The scent of a familiar cologne drifted into the room and Neku smiled at that soft but bitter-sweet scent. He heard footsteps and the sound of someone settling into the chair across from where he sat. Another scent mingled with the cologne. The scent of newly brewed coffee wafted into his living room and made him smile.

_He really knows how to make great coffee… _Neku thought cheerfully as he took a deep breath.

His own cup of coffee sat on his table, half-cold and half-forgotten. But he didn't mind. It was a fine morning, just perfect for painting and sketching which was what he was currently doing. He settled into a comfortable silence, content just to spend the day like this with the scent of coffee and cologne and the cool breeze around the room.

It really was a fine, fine day.

_If one day, we should ever be anything else other than ourselves, what would you like to be?_

The question, so curiously asked, took him off guard and he looked up from his sketches and turned to the empty chair in front of him with a small smile on his lips then back to his sketchbook with studies for his next piece. It was almost perfect. _Almost, _because it seemed to be missing something else.

"You know… I've never really thought about it…" Neku replied, erasing a line there. "Why'd you ask?"

That earned him a chuckle and a shrug. Neku rolled his eyes but still smiled.

_Just curious… After all, reincarnation is a possibility… With enough Imagination, of course._

Neku thought for a moment while the wall clock moved its hands and went _tick-tock _with each passing second. But Neku wasn't in a hurry. He decided to close the WildKat Café for the day so he could finish some sketches. He needed some time to paint for the exhibit in a few months after all. It wouldn't do anyone any good if he placed half-assed pieces. He preferred to put everything he had in a piece.

That way, the message he wanted to convey would get across and maybe spark more Imagination in people and keep Shibuya happy.

"I'd prefer to be human, I suppose…" Neku replied with a smile. _A curved line here…. Ah! Perfect! _He grinned at the sketch with a smile. His next piece. "And you?"

_A cat._ Came the simple reply.

Neku chuckled. "Suits you." He remarked. "Although, honestly, I half-expected you to say something incredible like a river or the moon or maybe something mundane as to be normal or something."

It earned him another amused chuckle.

_Neku, I was normal before. Who's to say I'm not normal now? I'm not a river because you can't hold the river unless you contain it. I hate being contained unless I want to be. I can't be the moon because it only reflects the light of the sun. And I don't think Shibuya will allow me to become the moon, so far away from her…_

Neku laughed. "You're too arrogant to be the moon anyways." He remarked, cheerfully. "But you'd make a fine cat."

Another chuckle was heard and a warm touch on his hand. Neku smiled and entertained that thought. A fine, _fine_ cat, indeed.

But the comfortable silence in the room was disrupted with the sound of insistent doorbell that startled him. The warm touch on his hand disappeared yet the scent of cologne and coffee lingered in the room. It'll disappear too but he hoped it would stay long enough to keep him company. Another cup of coffee sat on the table in a different white mug than the one he broke sometime ago…

The annoying doorbell echoed across the house. Neku sighed and stood up. He knew who it was without even asking. After all, he felt that one there.

He opened the door and in came the Composer, (_Emiya. _He kept reminding himself because he kept thinking of someone else's name.) looking like what the cat dragged in. Haggard and a little annoyed. Although, it was funny to see him with his hair standing up like that. His impending laughter died though when he saw the wounds on the Composer's arm and the blood on his shirt.

"Composer!" He exclaimed. "What happened?"

The Composer plopped down the sofa and sighed, tiredly.

"Noise." He replied, simply then turned to Neku. "One of the Noise surprised me. It stole something from the Room of Reckoning…" He paused. "I'm not sure what but it put up quite a fight." He frowned. "Fucking thing nearly blew off most of the Mural." Then he turned to Neku. "You can fix the Mural, right?"

Neku frowned. "That bad?" he asked.

Mr. Hanekoma's Mural in the Trail of the Judged was strong. Its strength only amplified by how long it's been there as well the collective Imaginations of Shibuya's past erased Composers, except for Joshua's though he didn't know why. He found it strange that only Joshua's Soul wasn't recycled back into Shibuya.

Even the Lady Shibuya wasn't quite sure if a piece of him survived.

_Souls are recycled to become other things too. _

Her words echoed in his memory.

_Sometimes, they return as people too… Maybe… If by some off-chance a piece of him survived…_

Neku frowned at the memory.

…_Shall we play a game?_

There was probably some hope for it but still, it nagged at the back of his mind. Something must've happened. Mr. Hanekoma probably knew why but whenever he asked, Mr. Hanekoma couldn't—_wouldn't_—answer. And he changed the subject immediately with other things.

He turned to the Composer, thankfully his wounds had started to heal already. But he looked too tired to keep his eyes open. His form flickered, signaling that he may not be able to keep tuning into the RG's frequency. Neku conjured up one of his pins to help him heal. The Composer hissed at the cool energy but didn't complain though he did wonder how Neku used his pins without a partner.

Player or no Player, everyone was sure Neku was no angel. The Angels were intrigued so they came to his café just to observe him. He just didn't know if Neku knew he was being observed. The Composer frowned. Mr. Hanekoma had mentioned to him once before that Neku had an outstanding Imagination and an extraordinary Soul. And the former Composer had once assumed that Neku would become the Composer after him.

The former Composer didn't mind after all, they played a game with a high price that Neku lost.

The Composer looked at his companion and wondered if the price was worth it or not?

"What happened to the mural?" Neku asked.

It snapped the Composer from his reverie and waved an annoyed hand at him.

"It blew some part of the Mural in the trails." The Composer finally said when he regained some of his energy. He winced when he remembered the wall graffiti that was half-destroyed. "I was half afraid Shibuya would suddenly fall apart… It seems okay for now… But I need you to fix it."

Neku stood up. "Of course." He said. "But I can only do a temporary job on it. Mr. Hanekoma is the Producer. He's the only one who can really fix the Mural." Then he turned to the door. "Stay here and heal. I'll go to Shibuya River."

The Composer reached out to grasp Neku's hand to stop him but he slipped through his fingers. The Composer clicked his tongue and leaned back against the couch, hating the scent of coffee and bitter-sweet cologne and the knowledge that came with it.

* * *

It wasn't unusual to find Noise in Shibuya River, after all, Neku fought quite a few of them. But for the Noise to get _through_ the Death God's Pad to get to the Mural was almost impossible. Several frog Noises suddenly appeared before him and attacked.

Neku winced but before he could fight back, a bright light suddenly burst out from behind the Noise and blew them away. Neku looked around but found no one. And then a familiar voice called out to him.

_Neku._

Neku looked on and saw a flickering white form just across the bridge of the murky Shibuya River. He frowned as the white figure began to take shape. Neku's eyes widened in surprise and allowed that name to tumble out of his lips.

"Joshua…?"

But he blinked and the figure was gone. He tried to trace if it really did appear before him but there was nothing. No trace. Neku sighed tiredly. Of course it couldn't be Joshua… Even his memory of him did not appear here. So why did he think he appeared there?

Neku started to walk. No sense in thinking of that. At least not right now. He had more important things to do. Walking over the black graffiti bridge, he noticed the murky Shibuya River which looked darker, cloudier than the last time he had seen it.

This was Shibuya River, he knew that. It was used as drainage, a sewer and that's what other people's eyes see. They didn't see that the murkiness of Shibuya's River was caused by their own thoughts. But then he also knew that only the top part of the water was murky and gave the illusion of being shallow. Beneath it all was a deep river.

_See only what you want to see…_ but Neku could see everything.

Slowly he walked on and through the Death God's Pad which was surprisingly empty. None of the Reapers were there as he stepped into the door that only those with Rank or Imagination were high enough could see to the Trail of the Judged. Neku always assumed he had sufficient Imagination or he wouldn't see it in the first place. Though, he didn't quite know why.

He sighed and stepped through the large oak door to the other side.

Neku winced at the damage. About half of the Mural had been destroyed. It was a wonder how Shibuya was able to keep herself together with the amount of damage. For normal eyes it only looked like it was painted over by black and red paint. But Neku saw that the black and red was slowly eating away at the mural beneath it. The remaining part of the Mural mourned for itself.

It was strange. It withstood even that time Kitaniji transformed so he was surprised it was destroyed so easily. It must've been a very powerful noise. Or the Mural was weakened somehow. He closed his eyes and listened to Shibuya to check if anything was wrong. Nothing seemed to be out of place except for a small humming somewhere he didn't quite know where it was coming from.

He ignored it for now and turned to the red paint that looked suspiciously like blood… Even the Black paint looked like dried blood… Slowly he reached out to touch the red paint but before he could touch it, a hand suddenly grabbed and jerked it away from the red-blood paint. Neku turned in surprise, ready to strike if needed.

"Hey, Phones…"

"Mr. Hanekoma?!"

Hanekoma laughed, nervously, his hand still in his.

"Sorry to startle you, Phones. Emiya called and told me you'd be here to fix it up." He said with a lazy smile.

Neku smiled. "Thanks, sir. Sorry about that…" he said. "I haven't even started yet but it's a good thing you're here." Then turned to the red paint. "Emiya was wounded trying to fight the Noise that got in…" Then he turned seriously to Hanekoma. "Sir, as far as I know Noise doesn't get in here… Your Mural should've prevented it."

Hanekoma turned to the half-destroyed mural with a frown on his face. The red and black paint troubled him.

"All debts must be paid…" Hanekoma murmured.

"Sir?"

Hanekoma laughed, let his hand go and ruffled his hair causing Neku to frown.

"Ah! I'm not a kid, you know!"

Hanekoma only laughed louder. "Doesn't matter, kid." He said. "Now, go on home."

"B-but—!"

"Don't sweat it, Phones."

Neku knew something was wrong. But didn't push it. Hanekoma would tell him when the time came. At least he always assumed that. One day, he'd tell him. He nodded and glanced back at the Mural before turning away. Hanekoma watched him go with a small, worried look.

Then he turned to the mural.

"What the devil are you planning to do?" He murmured, angrily as he watched the red paint ooze down.

Hanekoma cursed and punched the wall. It'll be out of his hands…

_What horrible irony… _Hanekoma thought.

Sickly-sweet laughter echoed across the Trail of the Judged as the red paint continued to crawl over Shibuya's Mural.

* * *

Neku stopped to listen to that strange mewling sound that caught his attention. But it was slowly being drowned by croaking. Curious, he walked toward the sound and saw a white Cat Noise with Reaper black wings on its back, angrily hissing at several frog Noises. It was stranger still because as far as he knew Noise didn't attack each other. And the frog Noise weren't Taboo either.

The Cat Noise hissed again. Neku knew he might regret this but still… Taking out one of his pins he slashed through the frog Noise and erased them. The Cat Noise turned to him, fangs bared and ready to strike. Neku frowned.

_Yup. I knew I was going to regret it… _

But the Cat Noise didn't attack. It was wary, sure but it stood there and relaxed and just looked at him. Neku sighed in relief. At least it he was the one who saved it from being Noise food.

"So, I guess, that means you're not going to attack me, yeah?" Neku remarked.

The Cat Noise looked at him, interestedly. Neku suddenly felt a little nervous under its intense but mischievous purple-blue gaze.

_A cat. _He was told this morning. Neku remembered the words as reply to the question asked. Well, the cat Noise wasn't attacking him so he supposed it should be a good sign. In fact, it sat on its hunches, licking its graffiti-like paws. Its tail, swishing lazily about.

_A cat._

Neku shook his head because he can't hope for too much. But it was there… Neku smiled at the Cat Noise.

"See you, cat."

Neku turned and left the Cat Noise, watching his disappearing form before sauntering off to a small hole in wall.

* * *

The night was still when he stepped through the door and the Composer was gone when he returned home. There was a note on the table from the Composer written in red ink. For a moment, Neku thought it was his blood but he was healing when he left so it couldn't have been.

Neku sat and leaned back, tiredly. There was no sound of footsteps in the house no scent of familiar cologne. Neku figured his companion must've gone out again.

"Joshua…?" He called out again.

There was still no answer and no memory to conjure up. Neku rested his arm on his eyes to cover the florescent light that seemed too bright for his eyes.

"Who am I kidding…?" Neku murmured with a bitter smile on his lips. "You'll never return…right?" he asked to no one in particular.

Purple-blue eyes watched.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

While normally, I usually have most of the fic written, for this one, I had a hard time. So I'm still in the process of writing this whole thing... But I have the almost ending in my head already. Hopefully, it'll turn out alright...

Thank you very much.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry. I'm a little slow nowadays. Hopefully, I'll be able to get everything up soon... TWEWY doesn't belong to me.

* * *

**"Innocence"**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Neku didn't know what to make of it.

He was definitely surprised when he first saw the Cat Noise sitting on its hunches outside the WildKat café as he prepared to open shop. And it did nothing. Which was really strange.

It was Noise after all.

Noise attacked people's minds but he also knew first hand that Noise was somehow once human too. They were once Souls of people albeit just different frequencies and different species and made of different tunes.

But it wasn't really his fault. At least he thought so. Because that Cat Noise made it a habit to stand in front of his café like it was waiting for something. It didn't surprise him that it didn't attack him. He wasn't a player after all but the Noise could sense him. All Noise could. They just left him alone though.

But this cat Noise was a little different. It just sat on its hunches beside the menu board and the shop sign and whisked his long white tail about.

Truthfully Neku had never seen a cat Noise before. The only closest to resembling a cat was the Iron Maiden's Noise form (he shuddered at the thought) and that was it. But other than that, there was nothing. At least nothing in his memory. He fought many Noises in his life so he may have forgotten a few…

But the Cat Noise in front of the café was different. Not even the Reapers could see it, it seemed. Neku thought he was hallucinating at first, never mind that he was living with a ghost but a cat Noise was a little over the top, wasn't it…? Reapers were supposed to see them.

He asked Kariya once if there were Noise that even they couldn't see. Kariya laughed at him with his lazy, half-lidded eyes and Uzuki scolded him for asking something so stupid. But Kariya told him something interesting though.

"There are different kinds of Noise, Neku." He told him. "Some of them take a different kind of eye to see…"

Neku asked him if he knew. Kariya just looked at him like he was supposed to know but Uzuki was causing another racket when one of the Wall Reapers accidentally spilled hot coffee over her. Kariya shook his head and stood up.

"Kariya, what do you mean?" Neku called out.

Kariya stopped and frowned, surprise written all over his face. "Do you… really not _know_ what you are, Neku?" The Reaper asked, carefully.

Neku didn't understand.

Neku looked down at the white Cat Noise who still sat on its hunches, its grayish graffiti-like tail swishing, lazily about. Its paws were graffiti-like too but the rest of its body was white and it had small Reaper, black wings like Rhyme did when she was a Noise. It made Neku wonder if maybe this cat was some Reaper's Noise familiar.

Or maybe someone's loved one.

For this reason, Neku didn't drive it away. He wasn't sure if Noise retained some of the Soul's memories in them but the Cat Noise didn't seem to cause any harm. If anything, it seemed to give him more good luck or maybe some sense of peace. Lately, the air around Shibuya felt heavier and the Noise had doubled. More than once, he saw the Noise gathering around someone. Mind clouded by negative thoughts.

The café was half-filled with people and Neku would've liked it if not for one of the patrons clouded by negative Noise. The fast moving red Noise swirled about the young man sitting near the counter as he talked to his friend trying to explain how life sucked. The air was getting foul and it was affecting the other customers.

But it was getting hard to breathe so he stepped out for a moment, pretending to straighten the menu board outside and noticed that the Cat Noise was there.

"Are those your friends?" Neku asked, gesturing to the Noise inside.

The Cat Noise licked its paws, ignoring him. Neku felt stupid for talking to it. He wasn't even sure how the Reapers were able to control the Noise they called out nor did he know if the Noise could understand him at all. Neku sighed tiredly.

"No, I guess not…" Neku said and squatted and petted the Cat Noise.

He was a little surprised it allowed itself to be petted and was surprised that its fur felt like a real cat's fur only softer, more familiar and it smelled like bitter-sweet cologne. It purred against his hand, contentedly then looked up at him. Neku stared back at the cat Noise in surprise.

_See something you like? _

The words cut through his thoughts in surprise. The Cat Noise had the same mocking gaze as Joshua had. Neku smiled at it sadly and continued to run his fingers through its soft fur. Even if this Noise had the same eyes and the smelled of the same cologne and the same mocking gaze, it will never be Joshua.

But it was a comfort to have the cat there.

As if sensing his discomfort the cat Noise rubbed itself against him and then proceeded to enter the Café only glancing at him once as if to tell him to follow. Neku didn't know what possessed him to, but he followed the Cat in.

* * *

It was strange actually, to see the Cat Noise while the rest of the world, Realground or not, couldn't. But the Cat Noise jumped on top of the counter and hissed, sending waves of sound rippling through the Noise and erasing them.

It was as if the spell on the people suddenly broke. The heavy air disappeared and the guy snapped out of his depression. And the café, though not crowded, started to buzz cheerfully again. The Cat Noise turned to Neku, pleased. Neku laughed and reached out to the Cat Noise that suddenly changed its frequency at his touch turning into a normal white cat. Gentle warmth enveloped his hand as he stroked the cat to turn into an RG cat.

The cat shook himself for a bit and then purred at him.

"Well," He began. "You're certainly very useful." He remarked, cheerfully. The Cat mewed at him, cheerfully purring as he rubbed himself all over Neku's hand. "I'm sure _he'd_ like you." he added.

Neku smiled at it fondly. _Yeah. I'm sure he'd like this cat a great deal. _Then he turned to the door where another set of customers stood up to leave. He closed his eyes, worriedly as he tried to see whether or not the sounds of Shibuya were off somehow. Nothing changed except for that strange buzzing that he still didn't know where it came from.

He'd ask Mr. hanekoma but from the way things were going, he shouldn't bother him.

Yet.

He hadn't seen Mr Hanekoma since the a few days ago with the incident in Shibuya River. Of course he was worried especially because Mr. Hanekoma seemed to be concerned about something that he knew would be something big for the elder Angel to actually look worried. He hadn't seen him like this since that long ago day in the game...

But he kept his counsel and Neku knew the man would tell him one day.

Hopefully.

Neku picked up the white Cat Noise and greeted "Welcome to WildKat Cafe." when a new customer walked in. He'll go back to the Trails tonight after he closed shop. Just to check, if anything else should happen.

The White Cat Noise watched the customers eagerly. Its purple-blue eyes glowing with amusement as it jumped down and walked behind the counter to nap somewhere out of the way.

Another customer entered just as Neku placed the orders on the couple's tables. He turned to greet the new customer.

"Hello, Welcome to the WildK—!"

"Hello, Sakuraba." Emiya greeted, cheerfully.

"Oh, it's you." Neku began. "Come in and have a cup. How're your injuries?"

The Composer grinned and sat on the chair by the counter. Neku knew it was useless to ask about such things after all the Composer's injuries usually healed after the day. Shibuya made sure of that he supposed. Just as long as he could suffer the injuries without dying first. Besides, he left him healing. Although he couldn't help but feel a little worried. After all, if the Composer fell without a successor, they'll _all _be in a whole lot of trouble. No questions asked.

"As you can see. I'm better." He replied, cheerfully. "You helped me a great deal over there. Thanks."

Neku laughed. "No problem." He replied. "How's the Mural then? Has Mr. Hanekoma fixed it yet?"

The Composer shrugged. "Well, there seemed to be some complications, truth be told." He replied. "Do you remember when I mentioned that the Noise stole something from the River?"

"Yes."

The Composer took a deep breath. "Seems we can't fix it without it..." He said and frowned. "But I searched and searched, and I don't remember what it was that was stolen... Everything seemed to be in order and nothing weird seemed to be happening yet."

Neku stopped what he was doing and looked at him. "You... don't notice anything?"

"No. Nothing at all." he replied then he frowned. "And you?"

He felt the cat get up and rubbed itself against him, looking at him seriously.

"No." He replied after a pause. "I didn't."

"Are you sure?"

Neku laughed and turned to him. "Of course I'm sure." He replied putting a cup of coffee in front of the Composer. "If its anything about Shibuya, I'd tell you, you know. You are the Composer."

The Composer gave him the oddest look that Neku had to wonder what he said wrong. The Composer laughed and shook his head.

"You're right. I am Composer." He said.

Neku frowned. He said it in such a funny way that it was stranger still. Kariya also gave him that look once.

_Do you... really not know what you are? _He had said. What else was there to wonder about? The Composer smiled and leaned against the table with a grin.

"By the way, Sakuraba."

"Hmm?"

"I think we'd known each other long enough that you can call me by my first name."

Neku laughed. "Ha! That's pushing it!" He replied.

"No, really. You keep calling me 'Composer this' 'Composer that.' I would be perfectly fine with my first name." He said.

Neku closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming.

"Composer, I—."

The Composer smiled and reached out to grab Neku's hand. "Sakuraba, it's—"

A white cat jumped up the table in between them and scratched the Composer's hand, successfully swatting it away. Little drops of crimson splattered on the table as the Composer held his hand. The white cat hissed, angrily at the Composer, attracting the other customers' attention. The Composer gritted his teeth and raised his hand to slap the cat angrily away.

Neku grabbed his hand mid-air. "Composer, it's only a cat. You needn't hit it…"

The Composer gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down. He sat back down but the cat didn't get down the table though it sat on its hunches and seemingly glared at the Composer. Neku sighed, frowning and swept the cat into his arms.

"And you! You naughty cat! To do such mischief!" He scolded. "Now, down with you…"

The Cat purred and jumped down his arms, but instead of walking away, the cat chose to stand by his side, glaring at the Composer as he tried to straighten himself up. Neku sighed and turned to the Composer apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Composer." Neku apologized.

The Composer sighed and regained his composure and smiled at him. Neku blinked. A buzzing noise reached his ears that weren't the cheerful chatter of the café.

"It's alright." He said. "Although I didn't know you had a cat…" He turned to the cat sitting on its hunches beside Neku. "You—"

Neku rubbed the bridge of his nose. The buzzing noise was getting louder. It was giving him a headache. He couldn't even hear what the Composer was saying. He turned to the entrance of the café and thought he saw the Lady Shibuya in guise of a little girl, the same guise she usually visited him with, standing there, looking at him. Neku took a few steps toward the entrance but the Lady Shibuya shook her head.

_Neku…_

Everything around him stopped and paused. The streets silenced all except for that buzzing sound that seemed to echo around the city. Neku stood there, silently. She was not wearing her usual wicked grin. She just stood there and it puzzled Neku to say the least.

_Neku…!_

"What…?"

Neku watched as her mouth opened and moved but he couldn't hear and she suddenly disappeared in a static. The buzz suddenly disappeared and the world moved again so suddenly Neku wasn't even able to run to her. But even if he didn't hear the sound of her voice the words were unmistakable.

_Shall we play?_

He shook his head to clear it then turned to the Composer who stood behind him, worriedly.

"Sakuraba…?"

Neku turned to him and smiled at him.

"I'm sorry. I thought I saw someone I knew outside…" He said. "Anyway, what was that again?"

The Composer sighed. "I said I didn't think you were a cat person. What's the cat's name?"

The cat purred and rubbed himself all over Neku's legs. Neku laughed and picked him up, holding him close. The white cat purred and rubbed its face against Neku's cheek.

"Name?" He began. "I haven't really thought of a name for—."

_A cat. _

"Sakuraba?"

Neku took a deep breath, and the scent of coffee and that familiar cologne invaded his senses once again. He looked down at the cat that emanated that bitter-sweet scent.

_You said it reminded you of me…_

Neku turned to the empty chair behind the counter with a small sad smile. There was a flickering there and the sound of chuckling reached his ears.

_Then give it my name._

He looked down at the cat with purple blue eyes. There was a clink of a cup against a saucer and a quiet sigh as footsteps approached him. Neku didn't turn around. He stood still enough that everything around him seemed to silence themselves.

_Don't worry… _A warm breath against his ear. _Have a little faith…_

Neku closed his eyes.

"Joshua…"

The Composer frowned. "What?"

The warm breath against his ear disappeared and left him a little cold in his bones. Neku took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Yoshiya." Neku said.

"Huh?"

Neku held the cat closer to him trying to keep the coldness of the world away from him. He heard the footsteps of the memory of his companion disappearing into the city. The Composer frowned at the cat and its owner.

"Yoshiya. That's the cat's name." Neku said.

He turned away with the cat looking over his shoulder to looking warily at the Composer. The Composer bit into his lip enough to draw blood. The Cat's eyes turned into dangerous slits as it glared at the red blood of the Composer.

The Composer grinned at the cat and licked his own blood on his lips.

"Oh well, maybe some other time then Sakuraba." He remarked.

Neku turned just enough to see the Composer disappear outside in a strange static that wasn't like the former Composer's white flickering light. Neku held the cat—_Yoshiya. That's his name now. _He thought—and stroked the cat's soft white fur. Soft like the hair of the one he shared a great many things with.

Soft like _his _hair.

"Yoshiya…" He whispered.

Yoshiya mewled at him, purring. Neku laughed, despite the cold he felt. All around him people talked and lived, without the knowledge of Shibuya's murmuring. The spot of red blood on the table staining the wooden table top and turned dull and black as it crawled to the edge of the table as if yearning for something.

Somewhere, Shibuya cried.

* * *

Hanekoma stood in front of the Mural gasping, his white-gray form flickering dimly against the darkness of the Trail of the Judged. He's been here for quite a while now. He wasn't even sure how long except that it's probably been a few days at most. It was strange that the Angels didn't even seemed to _know _what was happening right now under their very noses. Because if they did, they probably would've sent backup by now. But even if they did know what had happened now, they probably would've had a hard time getting into the ward anyway.

Hanekoma gritted his teeth and squashed the crawling red paint on the floor with his foot. It uttered a moan and stopped its crawling however the rest of the paint on the wall continued to moan and crawl over the Mural Weaving of Shibuya.

This had never happened before and maybe wouldn't haven happened if the Former Composer hadn't—

Hanekoma shook his head. He didn't have enough time to think about such things. And it wasn't Joshua's fault this was happening after all... It's no one's fault except for whoever it was that did this. It took all Hanekoma had to make sure the damaged parts of Shibuya's Weaving didn't suddenly disappear in the Realground. But even as an angel and the Producer, he could only do so much.

The Mural was melting away, faster than he ever expected it to. Hanekoma reached out and placed both his palms on the wall, one on the red paint and the other on the part where the Mural still hadn't been erased.

It hurt his hands and the red and black paint started to crawl up his arms. Hanekoma forcefully drew himself away from the red paint as it continued to crawl over the walls, slowly covering the Mural in angry red and dull black.

Hanekoma cursed and tried again. The red paint moaned at him.

"Neku…" He murmured. "Please, realize it soon..."

_Sanae!_

Hanekoma turned swiftly to where the voice called, eyes wide in surprise.

"_You—!"_

_Please understand…_

Hanekoma sighed. "Are you… sure?" he asked carefully.

A nod.

Hanekoma closed his eyes and sighed, resigned. The other was right. There was no other way to go about it. The red paint moaned crawled down the floor and slowly started to pool around Hanekoma's feet, crawling up his legs while the black paint crawled up his arms, moaning and groaning and wanting. He could almost hear the whispers of the paint. Whispers of lost wishes and lost dreams and lost souls and so many other lost things.

Like innocence...

"Sorry, Phones…" He murmured. "But you'll be fine…"

He didn't even make a sound.­

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

Joshua Cat doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Luciana Costa. :) I only borrowed him.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you very much for the reviews. I'm sorry it's taking so long. Hopefully, I'll be able to post one chapter a week at least from now on.Anyway, here it is. I think I'll be able to post the next one sooner in a few days. I have a clearer picture about the meat in the middle of the story before the end. XD I think, this will be shorter than I imagined it to be...

TWEWY doesn't belong to me. Joshua the cat doesn't belong to me. He belongs to Luciana Costa. I just borrowed him. XD

Here we are. I hope it's alright...

* * *

**Innocence**

**Chapter Three:**

* * *

Shiki looked about her with a small frown on her face.

She was so sure there was a shop there a few moments ago. But now it was just an empty lot. The people who walked all over seemed to have lessened as well. Taking off her sunglasses, she turned the corner once again only to feel some—_one—_thing run _through_ her. It sent chills running down her spine.

It wasn't a player. Definitely not. There hasn't been a game in quite a while and she would've most certainly known if there was. A small group of the Wall Reapers fancied the clothes she and Eri made and usually sent players there to get a few of their line. She met the Wall Reapers a few times every few months as they bought their latest. She didn't dislike them either because they just do what they needed to do.

Just like they did during the game. She certainly was glad for the company. And often smiled at the players, gave them encouragement and all that.

The Game could be cruel. As could the world sometimes seem to be. But it wasn't unforgiving. Not really. Not ever since their game, which was the hardest, the saddest and also the happiest part in their path to enlightenment. Not that they were seeking it then. But they were looking for their own reasons after all.

It may not quite be enlightenment, not quite, but it helped find reasons.

Shiki turned to their shop with a small fond smile as her eyes turned to the decal. Eri often wondered why Shiki insists on a decal on the wall of their store. It didn't quite suit the design but Shiki insisted. She said it was to help some people. Eri just nodded.

They kept the decal.

Another chill ran up her spine. She turned another corner to an empty alleyway.

"Hey! It's been a while."

Shiki sighed and tied her fists on her chest the best she could while holding onto Mr. Mew. She still carried the stuffed doll around even now. It was her first after all. And it was also their mascot and what helped her and Eri meet and what helped her and Neku during their time in the game.

Kariya, from her eyes, looking like a strange ghost, hovering between frequencies as he was. A little higher than the UG but a little lower than the RG. He hadn't looked different since the first time she saw him. She saw him every once in a while in the WildKat with Uzuki drinking coffee. And Shiki admitted that she sort of liked them now, outside the game. They were almost friends. Although she and Uzuki would argue about the latest trends every now and then. Kariya would just say something to rile Uzuki and her up.

But they were all something sort of friends. Neku most certainly didn't mind the presence of the Reapers in the café. If anything, they were quite welcome. Players too. It made some of the players jump when they came and there were Reapers and the Game was on.

It caused a lot of tension but the WildKat Café was a sort of neutral zone for everyone. Besides, the coffee and the atmosphere of the place calmed every one up soon enough. Former players often returned there for a cup and a chat. Everyone liked Neku well enough.

And Kariya… He was more solid there.

Unlike now.

"Hey, Lollipop." Shiki greeted back, smiling. Using Beat's old nickname for the guy. "Game?"

Kariya chuckled. "Nope." He replied. "'Was just wondering when you'd notice me."

Shiki rolled her eyes. "Can't ignore you, you know." She replied. "Besides, does Uzuki know you're here?"

Kariya shook his head. "Nope." He said again. "Can't put her in danger if she knew."

Shiki sighed and leaned against the wall, frowning. "So, it's happening, then. Just as he said it would…"

Kariya sighed tiredly. "Yes…" It was only then that Shiki noticed the lines on his forehead. Worry more like it. It seemed like the world was ending. And ending soon.

"Now why did you—?"

"—_Shh!"_

A Taboo Noise suddenly appeared. Shiki and Kariya stood very still for a moment, backs flat against the wall. Kariya scowled as the Taboo Noise disappeared. Shiki frowned.

"I take it it's a Taboo, isn't it?" Shiki remarked when the coast was clear.

Kariya turned to her. "Can't see them?" He asked, surprised.

"No. But I can feel them." She replied, seriously. "There're been too many incidents to call it an accident…"

Kariya knew what she meant. Missing people, missing places, missing streets…. Everything was getting lost somehow. And then there was Neku and that question he asked. He knew something was off somehow.

"Yeah… Shibuya's not safe anymore. Not quite. Not until…" His voice trailed off.

Shiki took off her sunglasses and turned to him. As he looked around warily.

Kariya didn't turn to her. "Look, he trusts you, right?"

"He does." She replied. "But…"

Kariya nodded. "I know. We're doing what we can but everything's getting messed up. Someone's messing things up."

"You? I though you like taking it slow?" She teased.

Kariya chuckled. "True. Though the sooner things get fixed, the soon I can go back to taking it slow." He said and turned away. "Besides, I like the coffee in the WildKat…" He disappeared from her vision as he walked away from the alley and lowered his frequency enough to be in the UG.

Shiki laughed as she stepped out of the empty alleyway. But when she turned back, the alley was gone. Shiki looked up on one of the buildings nearby and saw someone standing there looking at where the alley once was with his one hand outstretched, red blood dripping from his hand.

Shiki gritted her teeth. Hating how the figure taunted her.

Hating the splotch of red—_blood, _She thought—paint splattered on the ground where the alley once was. All around, she heard it, that buzzing that she knew was _something _being said. But like standing in the middle of a crowded street, one can only hear so much.

She put on her sun glasses and turned away. The red blood on the pavement where the alley was, crawled to her direction but dulled and turned black as it hissed out its despair.

As she walked away, she wondered if Neku could actually hear what was said with more clarity. He should be able to.

"After all, he is..." Shiki's voice trailed off as she stepped into the crowded Scramble Crossing.

* * *

It was still there.

Neku didn't notice it when he was cleaning and closing shop. And he didn't notice when he returned to check if he closed the doors. But it was there nonetheless. A small blotch of black, that drop of the "Composer's" blood that stained the wooden tabletop. It wasn't normal as it began to hiss and hiss and hiss and whisper some thing and whispered for someone about something else no one could decipher.

_HelpmeFreemeSavemeRememberme…_

The murmured nonsense continued hissing about. Outside, the streets were dumb, dead to the world. One of the lampposts' lights started to flicker on and off in a frail attempt to give light. The other lights had already died after the appearance of a figure who seemed to have just materialized out of nowhere in a strange gray static.

The figure smiled and brushed a stray, dark hair away from his face. The WildKat Café was closed already. The shutters closed tight and locked. Secured. There would be no way in. He wouldn't be able to get in even if he tried to change Frequencies.

The café was safe. But there would be other times… He looked down at his wounded hand.

It wasn't a big wound, actually. Just a few long, thin wounds, like scratch marks. It would've healed had it not been for the fact that he kept scratching the small wounds to make it bleed. The figure smiled as he walked a few more steps and grinned down at the redness as the small drop of blood dripped down to the asphalt ground.

The blood moaned.

"_Who's there?!"_

The figure turned around, swiftly, annoyed. It was just a Reaper. One of the regulars in the café. The figure plastered a smile on his lips as the Reaper took a few more steps forward, stepping on the drop of blood.

"Oh, you're one of the regulars at the café, right?" The Reaper said.

"Yes."

The Reaper closed his eyes, thinking hard. "Hmm… what was your name again? I keep forgetting…"

The figure stepped into the flickering light, still with that small smile on his lips. The Reaper frowned suddenly when he felt his Frequency distorted. It hurt and he knew he was in trouble. He took out his phone as he tried to put up a wall but to no avail.

"_What the hell_—_?!"_

Without warning, red puddle crawled out from underneath him. It rose up and bound him. The Reaper tried to struggle. But it was fruitless.

"_Who the hell are you?!" _ The Reaper shouted.

"Emiya." He said.

"_You_—_!!"_

Emiya smiled at the Reaper sweetly and the red puddle rose up and swallowed the helpless Reaper whole before he could even scream for help. His cellphone dropped and broke. The red puddle splattered to the ground, turned dull and then black. Emiya, the Composer, sighed tiredly. The buzzing intensified, causing more dissonance in the Shibuya's Symphony.

_HelpmeFreemeSavemeRemembermeletmesleepRemembermeHelpmesavemerememberme…._

The dark platter murmured. Emiya laughed.

"I dislike being forgotten." Emiya said. "You know that, Sakuraba Neku…"

The lamplight flickered out, dead as Emiya disappeared in a gray static.

In one of the Café's windows, Yoshiya, the Cat Noise, sat there and saw it all. He turned away, holding in his mouth a single white feather…

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

Sorry...


	4. Chapter 4

I was supposed to post it earlier but then writer's block and a sudden heavy workload stopped me from getting it done earlier. Hopefully, this is alright. Thank you very much of the reviews and hope that you'll enjoy this chapter too.

TWEWY doesn't belong to me. Luciana Costa owns Joshua the Cat. I just borrowed him.

Thank you very much.

* * *

"**Innocence"**

**Chapter Four**

* * *

_It was dusk. _

_He fiddled with his cellphone hesitantly. And he's been waiting for three hours in front of Cat's Mural, newly painted that there was a spot of red paint that was still not quite dry that slid down the wall at the side. It didn't ruin the Mural though thankfully. But it was just a little strange how it did when it did._

_He sighed, annoyed. His companion hadn't come yet. It wasn't like him to be this late. In fact he was never late at all. The streets of Udagawa were silent and he could vaguely hear a commotion coming from somewhere else farther off… The sounds of sirens and chatter and the traffic… _

_His phone rang. Immediately he answered and was very disappointed to hear that it wasn't who he thought it would be._

"_Neku, dear? Where are you?" His mother's voice asked, worriedly._

"_In Udagawa…" He sighed. "I'm meeting—"_

**Who was it again?**

_Neku dropped his phone and turned around, to face the Mural that was now slowly being eaten up by the red paint that he knew shouldn't be there. Neku stood there horrified as the red paint dripped down, almost swallowing the Mural as it murmured words that he couldn't quite understand._

_HelpmeSavemeRememberme…_

"_**The Weaving! Neku!" **_

_He turned around to the direction of the voice to see Mr. Hanekoma slowly dissolving into the red—_Blood?! _He thought in panic—paint puddle, joining the rest of the red and dull black on the ground as they moaned at him._

"_**The Mural, Neku! Remember! It's the weaving that holds Shibuya together! Neku you must re—!!"**_

_His whole world turned red and black as Mr. Hanekoma turned to red paint and splattered on the ground giving him the impression of someone's blood on the streets. Laughter echoed all around him. Horrified, Neku—_

* * *

—sat up suddenly and looked around. His breath short and beads of sweat ran down his face. He was on his couch in his living room. He must've fallen asleep again. He looked about him, trying to remember how he fell asleep there in the first place. He sighed, half-expecting his new companion—_Yoshiya,_ he thought smiling. _His name is Yoshiya—_to be cuddling near him. But he wasn't.

Neku wasn't surprised though. After all, the apartment was big enough. He was probably wandering around somewhere.

He sighed in relief. For a moment he thought, something had happened.

_Ah, but something did. _

"Mr. Hanekoma!" He exclaimed.

He was sure it was an omen. Neku shivered at the thought of the Mural being eaten away by that red paint. But was it really paint? He stood up and hurriedly ran to his room to get his pins. He knew he should havem at least, kept six of his pins on his person just in case. He didn't know why he didn't do that tonight out of all nights.

He ran up and was relieved to find his pins on top of the table. He walked toward them and passed the mirror on the wall behind the table. His reflection looked a little haggard and he knew he felt as he looked. He was alone in the room and in the reflection in the mirror.

He turned his attention back at his pins. He'll go out and check the Mural tonight just as he planned that afternoon. He needed his pins just to make sure. He reached out to grab them but all of them suddenly dulled at his touch and the art on the pins turned blank and then black and the red.

"_What the hell—?!"_

It hurt and the molten pins turned to a red mush that looked like—_blood?—_paint on the Mural.

He cursed. No pins. Outside, he heard it, the discord of the Noise and the silence of Shibuya's Symphony.

Neku gritted his teeth. Something was driving the discord…

_remembermesavemehelpme_

And he heard it. He didn't even need to probe like he usually did. Instead, it invaded his senses, nearly drowning him.

He choked as they got louder and louder.

_HelpmeFreemeSavemeRemembermeletmesleepRemembermeHelpmesavemerememberme…._

He fell on his knees as he tried to will them away.

_They'll never go away. Not like this, Neku._

"What's happening to Shibuya…?" He asked, voice cracking in the end.

The noise was painful to listen to. Warm hands covered his ears and muffled the Noise. For a moment Neku relaxed just a bit and turned to the mirror. There is no one there and he knew that.

_The Mural, Neku. _

"I know that…" Neku said. "But…"

_I'm sorry, Neku… Try as I might, I couldn't do anything to prevent it… I wanted you to be ready when the time came but still…_

"W-what do you mean…?" He asked, carefully.

The feeling of the warm hands covering his ears, disappeared.

_Neku, you are—_

Neku nearly screamed when the buzzing and the whispering of the static noise suddenly screamed out at him.

Neku covered his ears trying to drown out the noise in the Ward. He didn't even know how it happened. But he knew without a doubt that something was wrong in Shibuya. He cursed, and thought he should've investigated earlier. Neku grit his teeth when he stumbled as he tried willed the noise away, unsuccessfully. It was too loud and seemingly sounded like all the voices that lived in Shibuya were trying to get his attention.

_HelpmeFreemeSavemeRemembermeletmesleepRemembermeHelpmesavemerememberme…._

They were whispers and words of lost things and lost wishes and lost loved ones that kept saying things he could not do. And they murmured and buzzed and tried in their desperate way to get his attention. The discord of the symphony suddenly became more apparent than usual.

An instrument out of tune threw the whole orchestra off and he was going to be left playing an improvised Cadenza for quite a long time.

_**What makes you so sure you aren't playing one now?**_

Neku turned swiftly around. It wasn't the former Composer's voice. It was someone else's. Someone else he knew maybe a long time ago.

"_What do you want!!" _ He shouted at no one in particular.

_RemembermeremembermePleaseletmesleepremembermePleaserememberme…_

Neku winced. The shadows began to crawl over the walls of the empty room forming Taboo sigils that bore Taboo Noise. Neku got up and cursed when he realized he had no more pins left. Taboo Noise usually didn't bother him the least. But now, without his pins, he wouldn't be able to fight them. Neku got up and braced himself closing his hands tightly to a fist. It may not be much but he's not going down without trying.

He refused to be helpless.

Several Taboo Noises appeared out from the Sigils. Neku gritted his teeth, readying himself for the blow—that oddly, never came.

Yoshiya, the white Cat Noise appeared out of nowhere and threw the Noise away from Neku. Yoshiya stood, hissing in between Neku and the Noise. Using its claws it attacked the Noise and for a wonder, even Neku was surprised, Yoshiya erased the Noise so easily.

_Fucking Noise nearly blew off most the Mural. _

The Composer's words came in bidden in his mind as he looked at Yoshiya who was turning its white head around the room to make sure there weren't any other Noise other than itself. Its small Reaper Wings shivered and shone with power, its white fur glittered against the white moonlight.

_It couldn't be..? _Neku thought.

But Yoshiya turned to him, and Neku was surprised to find a single white feather in between its mouth. No wonder it didn't meow at him. It was only a moment later that he realized it was _his _missing feather. The same feather Joshua gave him, several days before he told him that his time was up. It disappeared soon after. He didn't even know where it disappeared to…

Neku held out his hand and the Cat Noise promptly put it on his palm.

The feather was warm still and smelled of Joshua's bitter-sweet cologne. It was soft and glowed but faintly as he held it.

Was this what was stolen from the Room of Reckoning? It couldn't be. This was his… This was—

* * *

"—interesting, wasn't it?"

The Lady Shibuya stood there, no longer was she a little girl, but an old woman with graying hair in an old beaten white, burial Kimono. Her eyes glowed in anger but even she was wounded. Beads of cold sweat ran down her old wrinkled face but her lips were set in determination.

"It was a bad move on your part, my Lady, for allowing your Producer to be eaten up." The Composer said cheerfully as he lounged on the throne.

_I have faith._

The Composer chuckled. "Faith? A lot of good that's done you… You are dying and your beloved little Neku has no idea what's happening…" He tsked. "You are so bad at gambling. Even your pieces rejected you…"

The old lady grinned at him.

_Oh, Am I?_

"Yes, you are. And you are a sore loser…" He said. "You put your faith on the wrong person…" he shrugged. "But I can't blame you. I did it too, at first."

_My dear little lost child. The game is not over yet…_

The Composer smirked. "Are you sure?"

* * *

More Noise appeared. Yoshiya hissed as the shadows crawled all over the walls, tried to swallow them up. The red and black paint of what were once his pins dripped and crawled onto the floor, slowly toward them. Yoshiya took a few steps back but bared its fangs and claws, ready for the Taboo and whatever danger the paint posed.

Neku stood up, readying himself, clutching the feather closer to himself.

The Noise—_More Taboo!!_ Neku's mind suddenly screamed—appeared from the Sigils and the red paint was also crawling over the walls and the floor, surrounding them.

_WantyouNeedyouSavemeHelpme…_

The buzz and the cacophony of—_Voices!—_noise continued to murmur at him. They yearned for them. Yoshiya attacked the Taboo Noise that got closer, using its claws and fangs and ripped through the Noise, erasing it. But despite its best efforts, Yoshiya couldn't keep everything away from Neku.

Neku, threw a punch at the Taboo Noise but his fists just went _through _them. Neku cursed himself.

_Of course that wouldn't work! _He scolded himself. It was so obvious.

He winced when it slashed at him, ripping his shirt and leaving a large gash on his chest. At the sound of Neku's distress, Yoshiya got careless and turned to him a bit just in time to see him knocked off. The Taboo Noise it was fighting used that opportunity to launch a stomp at it, paralyzing it. Neku stood up, horrified to see the Noise was going to erase a paralyzed Yoshiya.

"_Yoshiya!!"_

The feather in his hands glowed bright white and blue light, drowning the whole room.

* * *

The Composer stood up, angrily.

"No!"

The Lady grinned, her face aging backwards, her form shifted until she looked as young as the one who was standing before her.

_I have faith._

* * *

Neku covered his eyes to keep himself from being blinded. The light erased the Taboo Noise all around him. The red paint gave out an ear-splitting shriek as it too was erased. The voices stopped their ceaseless murmuring but only for a moment though and it returned to the buzzing.

A lick on his cheeks alerted him. He put his hands down to find Yoshiya mewling happily at him. Neku looked about him. No more Noise. Neku absentmindedly stroke the cat's fur.

"What was that…?"

_Your hand…_

At the words, Neku looked down at his hand. The one that held the feather but to his surprise, it was no longer a feather.

"This is Joshua's… pin." Neku murmured.

A blue and white pin rested in his palms. Elegant white wing graffiti against the deep blue. He'd seen Joshua use this after all in their old game way back when. Joshua had called it "Fallen Angel" though he was no fallen angel at all…

"But this is _your _pin, Joshua! I can't use it I—!" Neku began.

_If it's you, then you can._

Neku sighed, exasperated. "I _tried_ before, remember? I can't use it!"

_What do you call what you did just now?_

Neku stopped. It was true. It wasn't an accident. But why did it work now not then a long time ago when he tried it during the game? Neku looked up at the empty space where he thought his memory of _him _was, standing by the bed, near the table. He felt _his _gaze on him and that serious, little smile on _his _lips.

Neku stood up. "Joshua, I thought only a Composer can use—"

_Neku? Do you like Shibuya?_

The question threw him off guard. Why now of all days. Why that question out of all things? But it was a question still.

"Of course, you ass." He replied as if that had been obvious. "I like Shibuya well enough! I wouldn't be staying here if I didn't now, would I?"

_Then please stop rejecting her._

"What? What do you mean?"

There was a soft touch on his hands, warm, and comforting. Neku didn't see anything but he knew what he felt. Yoshiya, the cat Noise rubbed itself against his legs, for comfort maybe. The Cat Noise was a smart little thing. And whoever's Soul was it that it contained, must've been a very warm person.

_Neku, you must understand. You've always, always been the only one._

The words were whispered so softly, it may have just been a trick of his mind or the wind from outside the open window. But there was no wind here. It was just him and the Cat Noise and the messy, red-splattered room that housed his memories of _him_ in them.

And yet Neku didn't quite understand. Not quite. Because Joshua wasn't saying it outright. And no one was telling him.

"Joshua, you're an ass…" Neku muttered, smiling as he buried his face in his hand, holding the

And he heard the sound of steps approaching the table with an open drawer. Neku's eyes followed what he knew he wasn't really there. But just memories given to him.

_Take what's in here. You might need it. Although I doubt it'll be of any use to the Noise outside._

Neku stood up and looked into it.

It was Joshua's gun.

"Didn't know you still had it…" Neku murmured. "Is it the same…?"

A shrug but no answer to the question asked. And Neku knew that that it was the same gun that took his old life then.

For the game.

For Shibuya.

Neku took the cold metal in his hands, suddenly feeling a little chilled in his bones. He didn't like it. But still…

"Will I need to use it?" He asked, softly, a little afraid.

_You're the only one who could answer that, you know…_

Neku took a deep breath and gave out a trembling sigh. He took the holster and put it on, then placed the gun safely in. He turned to his coat, lying on top of his bed and hesitated.

"Joshua…?"

_Hmm?_

He put his coat on, carefully to make sure that the gun wouldn't be seen as he moved through the streets tonight. He didn't have anything to fear, really.

Not really.

Grasping Joshua's pin in his hands he turned to the door. Yoshiya, turned to the mess of the room for a moment and then walked out before him.

"What… am I?" He asked.

_You're… whatever it is that you are. _Came the calm reply. _Whatever it is that you've always been after the game, Neku…_

Neku gave a small nod. It made some sense but still...

Neku sighed and closed the door.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

I remember reading from somewhere that name of Joshua's pin is "Fallen Angel" at least the one that shoots out beams although now, I really can't remember very well... I remember reading that that's what its called in the Japanese TWEWY Guiidebook or something like that.

Please forgive me if I'm wrong.

I wish I could put in double spacing in between scene instead of lines but I've never been able to figure out how to do it... At least here when I'm uploading.

Maa... I must be really silly... sorry.


	5. Chapter 5

Hullo. Sorry for taking a while. I had to make sure I make my deadlines and then the revisions came... XD Anyway, here it is. Chapter five. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep my promise of one chapter a week... Has it been longer than a week, I wonder? XD

TWEWY doesn't belong to me. Joshua the Cat doesn't belong to me. He belongs to Luciana Costa.

Thank you very much.

* * *

"**Innocence"**

**Chapter Five:**

* * *

Shiki couldn't see them. At least not quite. Her Imagination wasn't that high. Not like Neku's. But she could _feel_ them prowling the streets. She sighed, holding Mr. Mew closer to herself, biting her lip. She knew _they _could sense her as well. She knew _they _were watching outside. Frequencies low enough that they can't hurt her.

Not yet at least.

The only thing that stopped them from getting in was the decal outside the shop. The decal Joshua told her to put on in preparation for this day.

_Misaki, I need your help. _He said then.

And she promised he'd help him. She'd never made a promise she couldn't keep. At least not yet.

She leaned against the door, looking out as cold unseen things prowled outside. Eri was safe in here. But Shiki had to go out. She won't quite be safe. She gritted her teeth and held Mr. Mew tighter. Tight enough, its stuffing might burst out of it.

It was late and Eri was watching Shiki's serious expression looking out the door of their shop. The shop was closed and she knew for certain that there was no one else in there but them. The last of the clerks left hours ago.

"Shiki, what is it?" Eri asked. "Something's wrong, isn't it?"

Shiki turned to her friend with a small smile on her face.

"What makes you say that?" She asked.

"You're hugging Mr. Mew too hard." She said, smiling. "If you squeeze anymore, he'll choke."

Shiki laughed, nervously and loosened her hold on the black stuffed cat and brushed a stray brown lock of hair away from her face. Eri turned back to the papers with half-finished designs, tapping her pencil, feeling Shiki's tense nervousness.

"Something's up, isn't it?" Eri asked. When Shiki gave her a blank look, Eri rolled her eyes about. "Isn't it obvious? You're more restless than when we had our first fashion show…"

Shiki gave her a small smile. "Am I?" She asked. "I guess… it's just a strange feeling in the air…" She lied.

Of course, Eri knew she was lying. Shiki had always been a bad liar or maybe it was because they've always been friends, that they know each other well enough to know if the other was lying. They were as tight as sisters, neither of them ever had any other and they've been friends since kindergarten…

"Shiki…" She warned.

Shiki gave her an awkward smile. "Can't pull the wool over your eyes, huh?"

Eri laughed. "'Course not!" she said. Then seriously. "This isn't about the show, right?"

"No…" Shiki said.

Eri sighed, putting her pencil down.

"Then go." She said, smiling.

"Huh?"

Eri sighed again and shuffled her papers about. "You've been itching to go since the shop closed. I noticed how you paced and you looked worried when you returned from your break this afternoon…" she paused. "I'm not going to ask why or what's happening. I'm sure it's something to do with whatever it is that happened to you several years back…"

Shiki's eyes went wide in surprise.

Eri laughed. "Even if you didn't tell me, I know."

Shiki pushed her glasses against her face with a small smile. "Am I that easy to read?"

"Hey, we've always been together." Eri replied, grinning.

Shiki laughed. "I guess, you're right…" She straightened up, not bothering to get her bag. She had what she needed anyway. It was pinned in her blouse under her coat and Mr, Mew was in her arms… She'd be fine. "Thanks, Eri." Then she paused. "Eri, I think it would be best if you stayed in here…"

Eri didn't question her. She only nodded. In the years they've known each other, Eri knew Shiki had developed a sort of sixth sense on some things. Especially since her return from whatever trip she had been on for a month. She disappeared then, just like several others. Shiki would get that strange expression on her face when she asked once so she didn't ask anymore. But that sense was still there. It wasn't the kind of sixth sense one would associate with seeing dead people's spirits or anything of the like. More of a sense where danger lurked and how to avoid it. Shiki gave her a smile and turned the knob.

"Hey, Shiki!" Eri called.

Shiki stopped just before she stepped out of the shop.

"Come back, alright?"

Shiki flashed her a victory sign and stuck out her tongue at her friend with a wink and ran out. The door shut behind her and left Eri to wait until the whole thing ended.

Whatever it was.

* * *

Yoshiya walked a few steps in front of him. Neku was surprised to finally realize that its frequency hovered in between the RG's and that of the Higher Plane. It was strange to see a Noise that had a frequency higher than the RG. Even if just a little. After all, all Noise resided in the lowest Plane of existence. Even lower than the UG. It was explained to him before.

Neku was sure no one else could see the Cat Noise besides him. But it was rather strange that even Reapers couldn't see it. After all, they could be in the RG just fine. And at most, he was actually half expecting them to see at least a figment of the Cat Noise. Or a ghost-like apparition…

What was that Kariya said? Something about a different kind of eye to see a different kind of Noise.

_Do you… really not __**know**__ what you are, Neku?_

Neku frowned at Kariya's question. And when he asked Joshua, Joshua only answered in the only way he could.

_You're… whatever it is that you are. _He remembered he said. _Whatever it is that you've always been after the game, Neku…_

Neku rubbed his temple with his fingers, trying to stall the oncoming headache. That was Joshua for you. He never quite answered the way one would've liked him to. He'd never been one to answer straight. Just more riddles as answers to questions...

_Do you like Shibuya?_

_Of course, I like Shibuya. _He thought and it was true that he liked the place well enough. This was where they all met after all. Because of Her, they all met. They played a game for Her even if he didn't know at the time. Heck, Kitaniji got himself erased for Her. He was ready to shoot him once before. Though he didn't. What more an answer could Joshua possible want? Shibuya was his world, after all.

The world that allowed them all to meet…

_Please stop rejecting Her…_

The former Composer's words swirled about in his mind. He'd never rejected Shibuya. Too many reasons, too many memories, too many people here that he liked. It was impossible to reject her. It was—

* * *

—_Joshua with a gun in his hand, in the middle of the Scramble Crossing. The gun was still smoking as it was fired before. And he stood up, after his cry of "What the Hell??" as his last Game ended with the pale Composer looking at him from across the crossing. _

_Neku's hands shivered, relieved that at least his gun was gone. He didn't like the feel of the cold metal in hands. He loathed the feeling of death around it._

_After all, he was killed by a gun, albeit, a different one. The one the Composer held in his pale, white hands…_

_And Joshua, the Composer, was smiling. His white form flickering and glowing. And the crowds in the RG slowly faded until finally they were like ghosts their voices and talks and their chatter turning into nothing more than soft murmurings. And Joshua was…_

_He was not human._

_Neku curled his hands to fists, trying to keep his temper down. But Joshua opened his mouth and said—_

* * *

"Meow?"

Neku turned to the Cat Noise, surprised. He blinked a few times more until he noticed that the Cat Noise was giving him a strange worried look. Neku smiled and shook his head and reached out to hold the Cat Noise close to him. Yoshiya was strangely warm for a Noise. Not even Rhyme, when she was Noise, was this warm.

"Sorry, Yoshiya. I just thought I remembered something from a Game…"

Yoshiya placed a paw on his shoulder. Neku continued to smile.

"He said something, that week, you know…" Neku mused. "Something important…"

Intense, purple-blue eyes looked at him. Neku turned away from the Cat Noise. The question in its eyes unmistakable even if he couldn't understand Noise…

_Why don't you remember?_

Neku sighed and allowed Yoshiya to climb onto his shoulders and stayed there, its black wings flapping just a bit thought it didn't seem to lift its weight in anyway. But then, Neku mused there was no weight to lift. Yoshiya was as light as a feather.

Neku touched the only pin he had, that was pinned on his right breast pocket under his coat, relieved that it was giving out warmth. He knew he should be hurrying off to the Trails. But he also knew that if he did, he'd be ambushed.

_By whom, though? _He thought with a frown.

He wasn't quite sure.

He wasn't worried about the Noise. The Noise was the least of his worries. Neku walked on well aware that the whisperings of the nothings of the lost things starting to murmur again in his ears. Thankfully, the whisperings seemed to have dulled though.

_helpmesavemelovemerememebrme..._

It still murmured. But it didn't hurt too much to listen to them. It sounded like a buzz again.

Joshua's pin seemed to have done the trick at least….

Yoshiya hissed as it jumped down from its perch. Materializing around them were more Noise. Black Sigils surrounded them, heralding the appearance of Taboo Noise. Neku readied himself clutching the pin in his chest and felt the cold of the gun burn against his sides despite the protection of the holster and his shirt. The gun wouldn't be much use against Noise.

So there really wasn't any reason to use it right now.

Yoshiya bared its claws and fangs as a a large elephant Noise appeared. Neku's never seen a Taboo Noise like this before. But It's other counterpart that floated in the middle of Scramble Crossing a long time ago gave him more than enough trouble.

The Noise raised its trunk and released a soundless scream, calling more Noise, Vulture Noise, to aid it. Neku gritted his teeth, thanking his foresight to wear the coat over his clothes. It'll protect the pin from them. It was too precious to lose. Those vulture Noise will try to steal it as they did every time.

_Joshua... _He thought and closed his eyes.

Yoshiya's purple-blue eyes glowed and Neku opened his eyes, not even noticing that his form had begun to change. That he began to glow in white light as white and blue beams fell from the sky.

He didn't even know how he did it.

And Yoshiya's white fur glowed the same way a pact was formed...

* * *

As soon as she stepped out, she felt the cold unseen things surrounded her. The night was still and the crowds that were usually still there even at night were strangely not quite there at all. She heard someone whispering nonsense all around her. She knew it was supposed to make sense. Joshua told her it should but maybe not to her.

_To Neku, it would. _He said then.

Shiki frowned and—

* * *

—_turned to her companion. The pale Composer, Joshua sat on one of large boxes that were sturdy enough to hold up his weight. But he didn't seem to weigh anything at all. Maybe it was because of the way he seemed to glow faintly and faded just a little that had nothing to do with the flickering between frequencies that Neku said usually happened to the other._

_Shiki took a short break from her sewing to regard the pale Composer._

"_Is this the aftereffect of whatever it is that happened in his final week?" She asked seriously._

"_Yes… And no…" He replied, hesitantly._

_She tied her fists on her chest and Mr. Mew did the same as the doll stood on its own beside its owner. Joshua would've laughed had it not been a serious matter. She sighed._

"_You know…" She began. "Neku never told me what happened in his final week in the game…"_

_Joshua turned away. "He hasn't?"_

_She shook her head. "Beat, Rhyme and I returned here on the same day, on the same week… And we waited at Hachiko for Neku for a week… Did you make him play another Game?"_

_Joshua shook his head. "He can't play anymore Games. His last Game was with Beat…" He said._

_Shiki sighed in relief. "He can't anymore, right so that should be alright…"_

"_He can't play anymore as a Player… But he can call for a Game." Joshua said. "And one day he will call for one. Whether he's aware of it or not."_

_Shiki frowned. "Neku? Call for a game?"_

_Joshua closed his eyes, his form glowing as he hovered between frequencies. Shiki wasn't afraid of course, but she couldn't help but worry about that strange faraway look Joshua had on his face._

"_He will call for a Game…" He said. "And… I will return to Shibuya River… Just as I was meant to…" he paused. "But return, how, is the question…." He got up and handed her something. "You'll need this."_

_Shiki stared at the pin in her hands. She thought she'd lost it after she returned but here it was. Her pin. Joshua smiled at her bewildered expression and knew the question she was going to ask before she even thought of it._

"_It'll work." He said. _

_"But I need a partner for that..."_

_Joshua chuckled at that._

_"But your partner is here." he said. When Shiki frowned, Joshua smiled. "Neku shines brighter now than before and he'll shine brighter still. Because of Neku, you can use it. Did you really think your pact with my Proxy disappeared after the Game?" he asked, grinning as if that was supposed to be obvious._

_Shiki knew it never did. Joshua_ _smiled at the recognition in her eyes._

_"I put in a piece of me there…." He said, that smile never leaving his lips. "Just as I had on other things as well… Although, I think it would be best if you didn't try to move Mr. Mew whenever there are others present unless it was absolutely necessary…"_

_Shiki laughed. "Of course…" She said. "Wouldn't want the customers running out in fear and—"_

* * *

"—doing some serious damage to private property!" Shiki muttered as she ran, Mr. Mew in tow.

She mentally smacked herself as the Taboo Noise wrecked havoc on someone's roof as they chased her. Their forms hovered between frequencies the same way Kariya did earlier. A little above the UG, a little lower than the RG. She didn't think they could do that but now... They looked like demon ghosts or something like that. They either cast no shadow or just made of Shadow. The wind from the Vulture Noise, blew everything except her out of its way. Shibuya's frozen over in stopped time. When everything was over, she wondered who was the unlucky guy without a roof on his house.

_At least, it was just his roof. _She thought, wryly and dodged an oncoming claw. She stopped and turned to her attackers, ready.

"Let's go, Mr. Mew!"

Mr. Mew flew up and attacked the Vulture Noise, sending three of them to the ground while others tried to come near. Shiki sighed, frowning. Joshua warned her it was going to get dangerous at some point in the Game that Neku unknowingly called for. Joshua never did tell her why he'd call for a Game. But she could guess somehow from the way Joshua's regretful little smile looked. It had something to do with whatever it was that happened then.

One of the large Porcupine Noise shot its needles at her. She managed to avoid them except for one that grazed her cheek. A thin thread of blood flowed from the small cut. Shiki wiped it away with the back of her hand.

She really wished Beat and Rhyme were here to help. But they couldn't even get into Shibuya. They tried after all. She got a call from Rhyme a few days ago but they couldn't. No one could. Not even the Angels, except those that were inside before the whole thing happened in the first place. But only one Angel was really stationed in Shibuya.

And if Joshua's predictions were right, even _that one_ was caught. _Caught. _That was being optimistic though…

"Stupid fake! Sicing his Noise at me!" She muttered under her breath though the one it was for probably didn't hear her curse.

She was going to call Mr. Mew to attack that porcupine Noise but a white and blue light rained down from the sky, erasing the Noise around her in an instant. Shiki looked from the erased Noise just in time to see Neku approach her. Shiki's mouth fell open as she saw him now.

He looked almost ethereal…

Neku's form flickered and glowed almost the same way Joshua did and although Joshua's light faded when she saw him last, Neku shone brighter. Joshua's words came unbidden in her mind. She didn't believe him then. Not quite. What he said wasn't very farfetched but she didn't quite believe him, a little too angry at that time he said it. But with Neku shinning as he did then and only _then_ did she believe him.

_It's about Neku, Misaki._

His voice echoed in her mind as Neku stood safely before her with a small worried smile on his face.

_Neku is—_

* * *

**To be Continued…**

* * *

Ah, sorry... I couldn't help but insert that elephant Noise that bugged me for weeks several months before. Ahahaha! Thank goodness there wasn't a Taboo version of it. At least I don't remember encountering it... But if there was... Goodness, I'd rather not see it! XD

Although, I hope you don't mind if I asked, cause I'm really curious. What do you think, Neku is, dear reader? I've been wanting to ask that question for a while now. I'm just not quite sure if I should because I know what he is in the fic and I don't really want to spoil anything but then... Ack! Curiosity killed the cat and I'm really curious what people think what he is. Sorry for rambling.

XD Thank you very much for reading.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the wait. I've been a bit busy and then I got a little sick so I couldn't finish on time... This one's an extra long chapter. And nearly finished with this story. I think... Just a few more chapters, I think... anyway, here it is.

TWEWY doesn't belong to me. Joshua the Cat doesn't belong to me. He belongs to Luciana Costa.

Thank you very much.

* * *

"**Innocence"**

**Chapter Six:**

* * *

The streets were humming in anticipation. But anticipation for what? Kariya didn't know. But he felt the strange excitement and fear in the streets as he walked into the Dead God's Pad. Uzuki was there, as were several other Reapers. Kariya _knew _something was going to happen tonight.

_Or maybe it's already happening. _He thought. It wasn't impossible after all… The streets, frozen as they were now, still hummed but then there was a faint buzzing he could hear.

_I'm sure Neku could hear what it is… _He thought.

Uzuki rose from where she sat when he entered.

"How is it outside?" She asked.

Kariya shook his head. Uzuki frowned.

"Bad, huh?"

"Yup." He replied. "Several Wall Reapers had been eaten up already… I saw them get eaten by the Noise and then they turned to that red… paint."

"I-it has never been this bad, has it?" One of the wall reapers, a newer recruit, asked nervously. "Does it have something to do with the Composer not having a Conductor…?"

There was more murmuring. Uzuki turned to Kariya.

"Is it?" She asked.

Everyone turned to him. Kariya shook his head again.

"No." He replied simply. "It's not that. Just try not to panic. I think we're safe here… for now."

There was more talking. Kariya turned away to that door that had always been there but never seen by anyone else. At least the ones the ones in the room with him. He doubted Uzuki could see it fully. Maybe just hints of it. And he supposed it was good at least for now. Because from the Malice emanating from the room that something big he had been expecting since Neku asked him about an unseen Noise was coming soon.

And it wouldn't be pretty.

_Tch! Does that boy really not know what he is? _He wondered. He stared at the large heavy doors carved with images of Angels fighting Demons. _With a Soul as bright as his, it would have been enough to fix everything. But something's holding him back… Or maybe someone… Someone like—_

"—_Kariya!!"_

Uzuki's voice made him jump. He turned to her, with wide eyes. Uzuki scowled at him.

"I've been calling you for a minute now!" She scolded. "What are you staring at anyway?"

He turned back at the door then at Uzuki. He took her aside and held her by the shoulders.

"Kariya, what…?"

"Uzuki." He said seriously.

Uzuki frowned at Kariya shaking herself away from him in annoyance.

"What?" She asked. "If you're going to make another weird remark—."

"Things are going to get ugly here… If things get worse, you have to protect him."

"What…?"

"Neku." He said. "You have to protect Neku."

* * *

The Composer turned his gaze over to the young lady standing in the middle of the room, smiling like a sly fox and as pretty as the day she was first made. The white burial kimono changed as she changed as well. The designs appeared and crawled over plain white, tainting it with colour, turning it black with designs of pink cherry blossoms and a phoenix…

They would still shift. And the Room of Reckoning was shifting as well. The black, white and gray lines of graffiti moved and flowed on the walls, on the ceiling and the floor, shifting and changing signaling the start of something big. The Composer, Emiya, gritted his teeth, his knuckles turned white as he gripped the throne and faced the mocking smile of the Lady.

"You!! _This _is what you've turn him into!!" He shouted.

_I did no such thing, lost child._

The Composer's face contorted in anger.

"You know _nothing!!_" He fumed. "_You_ weren't forgotten!! _You _weren't the one who suffered—!!"

_Have I not?_

The Composer ran toward her, fists ready. His face contorted in rage as the red paint burst out from under him and Noise suddenly spilled out, overrunning the room and through the Trails and the doors burst.

The Lady didn't even flinch.

* * *

Kariya knew before it hit. And he grabbed Uzuki by the shoulders and held her tightly against him, shielding her from the sudden onslaught of Noise from the door that everyone can now see. Electrical charges swirled around them, hurling the Noise away from the pair as Uzuki shrieked in her surprise.

Kariya turned to the now open door. All around him the reapers screamed and fought and tried to erect walls around them to protect them. But he didn't hear them. He was too horrified to see that the red and black paint was covering most of the Mural Wall. He knew what that was. He'd been there once or twice before though that was a long time ago.

_No wonder everything's so out of whack! _He thought. He steeled himself and knew that he had to do something to stall just enough time until _he _comes along.

"Uzuki," He said and slowly let her go.

"Kariya…?" She began, she immediately knew he was going to go off and do something stupid which was supposed to be her job.

"Stay safe." He said and pushed her to the other Reapers and ran to the door.

"_Kariya!!" _

* * *

Shiki sighed in relief as the last of the Noise disappeared. Shiki held out her hands and Mr. Mew jumped into her open arms. Shiki caught him and squeezed him tight for his good work. Thankfully, Mr. Mew was made to be durable and with the help of her pin, he was even more durable.

"Shiki! Are you alright?" Neku asked, worriedly as he approached her. He didn't even seemed to notice that he stopped glowing.

Shiki grinned at him. "Yes. Thanks, Neku." She said. "It's a good thing you came."

Neku smiled and turned to Mr. Mew and shook its soft paws.

"Hello, Piggy." He greeted.

The stuffed cat was supposed to give him a good smack on the head but Neku dodged it laughing. Shiki pouted.

"Neku…" She warned.

Neku laughed and patted Mr. Mew on the head. "I was just kidding. I know what you are." He remarked. Then he stopped, suddenly remembering something and turned around. "Yoshiya, come!"

Shiki bit back her laughter as the white Cat Noise appeared in front of her, turning its head to Neku for a moment giving him an irritated glance then sat on its hunches to regard Shiki for a moment. Shiki smiled and squatted in front of the cat noise that looked like a small white ghost in her eyes.

"Ah! So that's where you were." She remarked. "I take it you've given Neku his pin, then?"

Neku frowned. "My pin?"

The Cat Noise meowed as Shiki reached out to touch it. It was like touching water or more appropriately, mist. Cold and only slightly tangible. Her hand passed through it. Yoshiya gave an uncomfortable shake of its body and flapped its black Reaper wings to fly up land on Neku's shoulders. It looked over to her with piercing purple-blue eyes as if to urge them to hurry. Shiki knew of course.

"Come on, we have to go to the Room of Reckoning as fast as we can." She said and turned away. "We'll _all _be screwed if we don't get there on time."

Neku ran beside her in silence. It surprised Shiki at first because she thought he'd be asking her lots of questions. She saw his eyes darken just a bit as the questions mulled in his head as if trying to formulate the right questions.

More Noise attacked just as they were near the underpass. But not Taboo although it was strange that even normal Noise attacked them. They had a pact after all. Although they couldn't fuse like they used to. Neku had regrettably told her that even Mr. Hanekoma's pin had dissolved. Shiki turned away when he told her as it confirmed that Mr. Hanekoma might've already been erased…

As Shiki gathered up Mr. Mew into her arms, Neku finally turned to her, his mouth set with a single statement. His eyes did the questioning.

"You know what's going on." He said. It wasn't a question.

Shiki rolled her eyes about. "Of course I know!" She said. "I—."

A shriek pierced through the silent night. It startled the two for a moment and then they ran toward the voice to find several wall Reapers and Uzuki trying to fend off more Taboo Noise. Neku watched in horror as the Taboo Noise rampaged over the frozen city and attacked the Reapers. The Wall Reapers erected several walls around to at least protect Uzuki.

Uzuki was bloody, a large gash on her arm and her forehead bled as she stood there trying to kill off the Noise that were attacking them. She held her gun and fired but there was just too much Noise.

"It's no use, Uzuki!" One of the wall Reapers shouted. "You have to make a run for it!"

Uzuki winced but didn't move an inch.

"Uzuki!!" Shiki screamed.

Uzuki turned to her just in time. The walls shattered all around her and the Noise jumped at her. Neku ran toward the Reapers and concentrated, praying that Joshua's pin would work, he closed his eyes.

The Noise stopped their attacks and turned their glare towards Neku whose form began to glow. Then blue and white beams rained down from the sky, erasing the Noise in an instant. The Reapers stood and stared at Neku's now shimmering white form, hovering a few feet above the ground.

"Neku…" Uzuki murmured in surprise.

Yoshiya, who was left on the ground in Neku's haste, materialized in a more solid form and flew up and around Neku. Neku slowly opened his eyes to meet purple-blue eyes.

_Neku… I lost our game… _Joshua told him once. But when? _You are…_

Another memory flashed across his mind. The Mural in Udagawa and a phone call from his mother.

_Neku… _His mother said. _Come home, quickly… It's—_**who?**—_He's been in an accident! The doctor did everything they could but…_

Neku felt like he had been struck by lightning. The memory jolted him and then it was replaced with the memory of Joshua standing in the Scramble Crossing with him with a smoking gun in his pale hands and a small grave smile on his lips.

_I would require a fee for it then… _He said then. _Precious memories of someone… Is that alright? _

Trapped in that memory of Joshua who kept asking him for a fee, Neku was suspended in midair, trying to remember what his fee was.

Joshua gave him a small regretful smile in that memory.

_If that is what you wish…_

And Neku drowned in that intense purple and blue. For a moment, he thought he was looking at Joshua's eyes. Neku's shimmering form faltered and dimmed and with the effect of the pin gone, Neku fell to the ground.

Yoshiya dropped to his side and licked his cheeks and purred to comfort him. Neku turned to Yoshiya's worried gaze and ran his fingers through its fur.

"I'm alright… I think…" He murmured.

But he couldn't get that nagging feeling that he's forgotten something. Something very important… A Reaper offered a hand out to him to help him up which he gratefully accepted. The Reaper pulled him up and Yoshiya flapped its wings to rest on Neku's shoulders.

One of the Reapers used a heal pin on Uzuki. The wounds didn't all heal but they were bearable enough. Uzuki walked over to Neku, limping. Shiki thought she was going to say something like they didn't need help or that they should've left them alone but something in Uzuki's eyes said she _knew _the same way Shiki _knew _what was happening.

At least to some extent.

"Neku…" Uzuki began, surprising Neku for a moment. "You shouldn't be here It's too dangerous here…"

Neku frowned. "I have to go to the Trails."

Uzuki grasped him by the shoulders. "No! You mustn't! We just came from there! Kariya—!"

Shiki frowned. "What about Kariya?" She asked.

Uzuki didn't have enough energy to snap at them. Exhausted even with the healing pins, she slumped in front of Neku. Neku knelt before her, holding her shoulders gently.

"What happened to Kariya?" he asked, urgently.

"He got in…" She said, breathlessly. "Into the door…to the trails into the Composer's throne room. But I couldn't get in. He said I shouldn't even if I could. And that I should find you… Keep you safe…"

Neku stood up and closed his eyes to _hear _Shibuya. But the city's silence only made him a little more uneasy. Shibuya was never silent. Neku frowned and opened his eyes to look around him, too see if something was wrong.

"Neku, we have to get going…"

But Neku wasn't listening to her. He was trying to find something that he knew was off. A building missing here, people missing there, streets gone askew….

_It's the Mural. _He remembered Joshua once explained to him a long time ago. _The Cat's Mural in the trails holds the fabric of Shibuya existence together… Should something happen to it…_

_Shibuya will die… _He thought. That was about right. And since the Composer told him that _something _had been stolen from the Room of Reckoning that kept the Mural from being fixed… He turned to Yoshiya who gave him a small nudge and a meow, urging him on. It couldn't have been his feather… It couldn't have been Yoshiya…

And these strange happenings started long before Yoshiya came… When did it all start?

_You don't have to do this, you know. I can release you from all this nonsense. _The Composer told him once when he came for coffee. He _always _came for coffee at the Café. And he'd _always _offer to release him. But release him from what?

Neku frowned, placing a hand on his forehead to keep his head from hurting. Why did he suddenly remember that? It didn't start then. Not yet at least… Something in the air changed…

"Neku…" Shiki called again.

Neku straightened up. "Uzuki, I must go to the trails… I have something that I need to do there."

Uzuki looked at Shiki first to implore her but then she also knew that nothing could be done about this. She remembered Kariya that afternoon. She knew he met up with Shiki. She knew Kariya had been hiding something for the past few weeks. He was the one who always insisted on going to the WildKat Café. And though she does admit that the coffee there was great, she couldn't quite get over the feeling that there was something about the way Kariya stared so intensely at the WildKat's young owner. Something that wasn't quite right.

She asked him once or twice. He just teased her though. But then he said something just a few—_minutes? Hours? Days? _She couldn't quite remember now.—ago about what he needed here to do. What needed to be done.

_Uzuki, _He began. _It's going to get ugly here… If things get worse, you have to protect him._

Uzuki didn't understand it then. But then Kariya _always _knew something. He was a high-level Reaper after all who declined promotion several times… And then the burst of Noise that came _from _the Composer's hidden chambers…. Kariya ran through the door.

_Uzuki. Stay safe. _He said.

Uzuki took in a deep breath and stood up, placing a gloved hand on her forehead to forestall the headache she knew would be coming.

"Alright, brats…" Uzuki said, annoyed. "If you're going, so am I. I can't let you jump into erasure. You'll just end up being Noise food."

Shiki 'humphed' at her, arms akimbo. "_We _weren't the ones in need of rescuing."

Uzuki shrieked at her, angrily. _"Stupid brat!!"_ She began.

Shiki stuck out her tongue at the Reaper. Neku turned away trying not to snigger at how funny they looked. Both ladies turned to glare at him when a snigger escaped. Then Uzuki sighed and stopped.

"Neku, the WildKat's a safe place, isn't it?" She asked.

"Not quite." He replied. "I just got attacked there. My room's a mess…"

Uzuki frowned. "I need to send the Reapers in a safe place…" She began. "A place with a decal…"

"My boutique's safe, I think… My best friend's there and she was okay when I left so you'll be safe… But if you step in, you might freeze in time just like the rest of Shibuya."

"I don't think anything bad's going to happen if you freeze in there…" Neku began.

"Huh?"

Neku turned to Shiki. "Just trust me. I think… It's more of a defense of some sort…" He said. "If Eri's safe in the boutique, you'll all be fine there…"

"We'll go with you, Miss Yashiro!" A Reaper said.

"Are you all _crazy!?_" She exclaimed, suddenly loosing her temper. "You'll be erased! I _order _you all to stay at boutique!"

"You're not our boss!!" Someone shouted.

Uzuki shrieked in annoyance. "I'm freakin' _worried _about you guys and you tell me _I'm not your boss??_"

The Reapers took several steps back in surprise while Shiki tried to calm Uzuki down. Despite her earlier exhaustion, she still had enough energy to yell as always.

Neku frowned. "You should listen to Uzuki." He said. "You're not strong enough. I've seen Uzuki in a fight so you don't have to worry about her too much."

After a few more protests, they relented. And worriedly looked at Uzuki and warned her to be careful. The Reapers gave her a healing pin just to make sure. Shiki scribbled a note with instructions to give to Eri if they weren't frozen. They'll be visible in the shop after all. It would be dangerous if Eri got scared. Eri can pack a mean right hook whenever she's surprised. With a final 'good luck', the Reapers walked away cautiously. Uzuki watched them leave first then turned to Neku and Shiki.

"So?" She began and cocked her gun, ready. "Shall we?"

Neku nodded and hurriedly ran beside Uzuki. Shiki turned to Neku for a moment and then and Yoshiya who turned to her to give her that knowing glance. Neku didn't even seemed to notice how he seemed to flicker and glow, existing in several frequencies, clearing the way from Noise as Shibuya continued to hum in anticipation…

Shiki wondered if Neku noticed how he glowed now…

But she didn't ask.

* * *

The Composer stopped his Noise assault, and wondered if he had overdone it. He wiped the sweat off his face. He took a few haggard breaths to calm himself as the red blood-paint bubbled beneath his feet. The red paint now turning black in the edges continued to crawl over the walls of the Room of Reckoning, staining the dreary gray with crimson as they continued to murmur their endless mantra.

_helpmesavemerememberme…_

"Everything I do, I do for you, Neku…" He murmured, bitterly. "I even went to Udagawa for you that day… I died going to meet you…"

The red and black paint moaned at his feet as he covered his face with his hands. They swirled under his feet and formed hands that reached out and grabbed his legs desperately, staining his denim pants red.

_remembermeremembermeremembermerememberme.._

"Why must you forget me…?" He asked, desperately.

_He was not ready._

He turned and glared at the Lady who looked at him with sympathy. The Composer hated that look. He didn't want that look directed to him. It reminded him too much of what he had lost.

"Don't look at me like that!!" He shouted, angrily.

The Lady didn't stop though. And just looked at him like he was a little lost boy.

"_Don't look at me!!" _The Composer roared angrily.

Reacting to the Composer's anger, the red paint swirled beneath his feet in a rapid torrent and rushed at the Lady in his rage. The walls of the Room of Reckoning screeched as the discord of the lost things flew at the Lady, surrounding her.

But he stopped when suddenly the Lady wasn't there anymore. The Composer cursed, loudly.

"Ah! How troublesome…"

The Composer flicked a stray lock of dark hair away from his face in irritation and mock calmness as he straightened up and turned to the voice. Kariya stood there with the Lady in his arms with a bored smile on his face. The Lady held onto Kariya with a small smile on her face and he slowly placed her carefully to her feet.

_Thank you, dear child…_

He smiled at her and bowed with a flourish.

"Always, m'lady. Although, I must say, I didn't expect to be able to see you…" He remarked.

The Lady gave him a small smirk.

_But I've always been here…_

Kariya gave her a small nod. "I see…"

The smirk on her lips never left. Kariya called out to his pin and several electric charges swirled around him and the Lady for protection. Kariya knew that it wasn't much protection against the powers of the one who stood in front of the throne but it should suffice.

The he turned to the Composer, who was already turning livid red in anger with a small bored smile on his lips. He didn't quite know if he'll escape here alive… Well, as alive as a Reaper could ever get at least.

"The Composer is coming." He said.

At what he said, the walls just _sang_.

The 'Composer' scowled. "'Composer?'" He asked.

* * *

Uzuki and Shiki were walking ahead of him. Neku knew that Uzuki was a tough lady. Her temper was force to be reckoned with after all. And Uzuki, once she put her mind into it, could do whatever it was she set out to do. He wondered why she wasn't promoted yet.

"Watch out you two." She warned as she walked over the bridge as she looked down at the River's torrent. "Fall in and you'll end up in your next life…" she paused. "If we'll even _have _a next life after all this blows over…" She added.

Shiki crossed the Bridge and looked about her, Mr. Mew ready in her arms just in case. The Bridge itself was stained red. Neku frowned as it dripped down the River, tainting it just a little.

It gave Neku the chills as he walked over the Bridge of Shibuya River. The water beneath the graffiti bridge rushed faster and actually looked deeper now. It wasn't dirty water there though. It _wasn't even _water. Neku paused for a moment to look down at the rushing torrent. It was made of Souls, it was the river of Shibuya's Symphony. It was where everything in Shibuya came from and where everything will return…

"Joshua? Are you there?" He murmured.

Yoshiya turned to him from across the bridge and meowed, loudly. Neku turned to the Cat Noise and hurriedly joined the ladies ahead.

Yoshiya looked back at the River for a moment, its body flickered and changed to a more familiar form but only for a moment.

_I am here… _

Neku didn't hear it though. The walls around them seemed to have come alive though and the pulse warmly. Just for a moment though but stopped. And when Neku turned around to call the cat. The Cat Noise was still that.

A Cat Noise.

"Neku! Let's go!"

They ran.

* * *

"But _I'm _your Composer!" The 'Composer', Emiya, said, with a mocking smile on his lips. "Is there anyone else?"

"You know there is." Kariya replied, standing in front of the Lady just to make sure nothing would happen to her.

The 'Composer' saw the movement and started to laugh out loud at how futile that gesture was. His laughter echoed around the Room of Reckoning, the red paint bubbled beneath his feet and continued to grab at his pants but they would never be able to hold. Still they continued to murmur and cry and the walls continued to reverberate.

"How silly you are, Kariya…" He said. "Even _he _said that _I _was the Composer."

Kariya frowned as more electric charges swirled around them. The walls were whispering for them to be careful.

"He doesn't know _he's _the Composer." He said matter of factly.

The 'Composer', Emiya's, face contorted in anger.

* * *

Yoshiya flapped its black reaper wings and flew over the red and black paint. Shiki couldn't repress a horrified gasp when she saw the Mural. Neku ran toward the Mural, now mostly ruined. Only the black cat and the Reaper figure on the mural were left and were slowly being eaten by the crawling paint.

"I don't understand…" Neku began. "Mr. Hanekoma should've been able to fix this…"

He reached out to touch it but Uzuki grabbed his wrist and yanked it away, causing a wave of déjà vu. Mr. Hanekoma had done the same, several days back. Shiki turned when she noticed something on the floor and she picked it up and saw a pair of dark glasses. They were the same dark glasses Mr. Hanekoma used to wear.

Shiki turned to Neku, staring at the Mural.

"Neku…" Shiki called and held out the dark glasses to Neku.

Neku took the dark glasses and held them gingerly in his hands. Shiki turned away.

"He's become part of the dissonance…" She said. "I was warned something like this might happen but…"

Neku looked up at her. "Warned? You knew something like this was going to happen?!"

Shiki nodded, sadly. "Yes. Joshua warned me." She said. "Right before he…" She couldn't say it.

Neku gritted his teeth and tried to stop his anger. It wouldn't bring back Mr. Hanekoma even if he tried. The paint had swallowed him up and murmured at him. Swallowed up by the dissonance… He buried his face in his hands. He couldn't help but feel like a pawn in the games again. Mr. Hanekoma's gone, many Reapers erased and Shibuya was in danger. Why was this happening?

"Joshua… Why do you never tell me anything….?" He murmured. "Why?"

Shiki walked over to him and sighed. "Because you didn't want to know." She replied.

Neku looked up at her sharply. Shiki looked down at him. Uzuki left to scout a little farther ahead, just enough to give them privacy. This was something that she knew she shouldn't hear. And she was worried something might've happened to Kariya.

"Neku…" Shiki began. Her quiet voice could be heard, clearly in the deathly quiet Trail. "Haven't you ever wondered what you are?" She asked, quietly.

Neku stopped and stared. The question caught him off-guard. Kariya had asked him the same thing, though with different words. Mr. Hanekoma looked at him funny sometimes and looked like he wanted to tell him something but could never say it. And when he asked, the answer that was given to him was as vague as looking at a figure standing in a thick mist.

Of course, he asked. But what was the answer given to him?

_You're… whatever it is that you are. _Was the reply. _Whatever it is that you've always been after the game, Neku…_

"What do… you mean…?" Neku asked again.

Shiki knelt before him, the red and black paint stained her boots and knees and part of the skirt she wore.

"Neku… What are you, really?" She asked. "As cruel as it may sound, nothing will be resolved if you don't know…" She shook her head. "… more like _don't_ _want _to know what you really are…" She paused, allowing the words to sink in. "You're no wuss, Neku. So what are you so afraid of anyway?"

What _was _he so afraid of in the first place?

Whatever he was, he was important… And whatever—_or was it whoever?_—it was he forgot was also important.

Yoshiya landed on his shoulders once again and meowed, purring at him to comfort, urging him on. He took a deep breath and let out a shuddering sigh. He didn't get out of the Game a long time ago for nothing after all. He straightened up and gave Shiki an awkward smile.

"Sorry, you had to see that…" he murmured. "You're right… It's time."

Neku walked on, looking at the damage on the Mural Weaving. He placed the dark glasses into his pocket for safekeeping and as they walked on, voices were heard coming from the Room of Reckoning. Neku couldn't make it out at first but as they came closer he heard it clearly.

"He doesn't know _he's _the Composer."

Neku stopped when he heard Kariya's voice. Uzuki gritted her teeth trying not to burst in and kick whoever it was that was causing this much trouble.

"'_Composer??'" _ Neku knew that voice of course. There was no mistake about it.

"You're waiting for your _Composer _who _ran away. _Your _'Composer' _who couldn't pull the trigger to _erase_ his predecessor! Your _Composer _who didn't care for whatever price he had to _pay _just to run away!!"

"Neku will take back Shibuya." Kariya said. "Of that I am very sure."

Shiki turned to Neku whose face held no expression as they listened. She turned to the door and then on the floor as the red paint began to crawl from under the door's gap. Uzuki tugged at Shiki's sleeve to warn her not to get too close. But when she and Shiki turned back, the red paint that was destroying the mural were crawling toward them and to Shiki's horror, the paint hand crawled over to where Neku stood.

They started to form small arms, reaching up and trying to cling onto his denim pant legs murmuring their nothing words that didn't make sense to her but would to Neku. While Neku just stood there, frozen as if in shock.

"Neku!"

Neku returned his senses and looked down and tried to stomp the paint away but it was no use. They held onto him tight. Uzuki uttered another scream when the paint crawled up her leather boots, trying to get them off. At her scream, the doors flew open and the paint carried them inside.

"_Get off me!!" _Uzuki screeched.

"Uzuki!"

Uzuki turned and glared at Kariya. "You're gonna get it after all this!"

Kariya sighed and walked over to her, one of the electrical charges hit the paint that held them. Now free, Uzuki cocked the gun she held in her hands, ready for a fight. Mr. Mew jumped down from Shiki's arms. Neku stepped before Kariya and the Lady.

The Composer sighed, bored.

"Ah! How troublesome…" He remarked, flicking a stray dark hair away from his face. "But then, this is expected…" He smiled at Neku. "Hello, Neku. It's been a long time…"

All of Shibuya fell silent as Neku stared at the 'Composer' as if seeing him for the first time.

"_You—!" _Neku exclaimed.

Before anyone could react, the red and black paint rose up and swallowed Neku and Yoshiya whole. Shiki screamed, Kariya and Uzuki could only watch horrified. The Lady closed her eyes.

"…and goodbye."

Shibuya fell silent.

But Neku heard something before being swallowed up. Something he knew Joshua told him before… Something important…

_Neku… I lost our game._

Neku saw no more.

**To be continued…**

* * *

Sorry... Sorry... I'll try to finish it as soon as I can.


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry for the long wait and thank you for sticking with me. After not writing for so long, I've gotten confused so I'm not very confident with this... I haven't given up on anything. I will finish everything I started! I really will! Sorry for the long delay...

TWEWY doesn't belong to me. Joshua the Cat doesn't belong to me. He belongs to Luciana Costa.

Thank you very much.

* * *

"**Innocence"****  
Chapter Seven:**

**

* * *

  
**

Floating in the vast nothingness, Neku wondered if he really had died. Died _for real _this time. He wondered if he'll join with Shibuya River after this or will he be lost in this nothingness? Then a thought struck him. Should he even be aware that he was dead if he really _did_ die? Neku scolded himself for such foolishness and his carelessness that got him eaten up by the Dissonance…

Neku curled up in frustration he had only found out he felt… Joshua tried to get him ready for this and yet he screwed up… Joshua died in vain…

Joshua…

"Joshua…" He murmured.

_Really, Neku moping doesn't suit you… _

Neku's head shot up and he stared at the white Cat Noise floating in the nothingness with him, purple blue eyes, shinning brighter than it had ever done.

"Y-Joshua…?"

_It's not the end, you know… _

Neku slowly reached out with trembling hands at the white cat Noise and was surprised that before he touched it the Cat Noise's white light took shape. Neku's eyes went wide in surprise as it took form and a figure of a young man appeared before him with those half-smirking lips and the purple-blue eyes. Neku could never mistake that look.

"Hello, Neku… It's been a while hasn't it?"

"Yo… Joshua…" He murmured, shocked beyond belief. "Is that really…?"

He tried, really. He really tried to keep the bitter tightness in his chest when his hands touched nothing but shimmering non-stuff. He tried not to feel the lump in his throat when there was nothing to touch. He looked up at Joshua, trying to hold the feelings in and gritted his teeth.

The white figure shook his head. "Not really… More like a fragment of me that sleeps in your memory, in the pins you use and in this Cat Noise…" He smiled, sadly. "I'm long gone, Neku but I cannot rest…"

Neku swallowed the lump in his throat. "It's not fair, you know…" He murmured.

Joshua chuckled. "It's never fair, Neku… At least it looks like that sometimes…And sometimes, it is… one way or the other…" He said. Then he looked up at the darkness as if seeing stars in them that Neku couldn't see.

"It's not fair you _had _to die!" Neku yelled. "You hear me, bastard! It's not _fair!!"_

Joshua shook his head. "I've been dead for more years before I met you…"

"That's not the point!" Neku shouted, anguish in his voice.

Joshua smiled sadly because he understood. He understood what he meant, he understood why but there were just some things he had no control over. He wanted to reach out and touch the orange hair and feel it against his fingers but he was not alive.

He would not feel it and neither will Neku. And if he did, it would probably just be a cold whiff of air of sorts.

So he did not.

"You said I couldn't be left with a piece of you…" Neku murmured. "And yet…"

Joshua shrugged. "Not the piece that you wanted…" He replied. "I knew you were thinking of Rhyme when you asked… The way her soul was sealed in a pin, to be revived later… I couldn't give you something tangible like that because a Composer's Soul is different… far too hard to grasp if it were even possible… And my Soul has long been shattered…" he paused. "As I am right now, things are different. I am and I am not. I sleep yet I do not rest…"

Neku gritted his teeth. "Then why are you here now?" he asked.

Joshua smirked with that old curve of the lips that irritated Neku whenever he did, like it was some trivial matter that he could dismiss easily.

"Why, to help you of course." As if that had been obvious.

Neku buried his face in his hands as if to calm himself down. If he had been the way he was back then, he wouldn't have accepted and probably would've yelled and scowled and… Neku sighed. Right now, things were different. _He _was different everything was different and that knowledge was something he didn't know if he liked or not. Not after all this…

"Why Joshua…?" He whispered.

Joshua frowned. "What do you mean?"

It was a simple question really. And Joshua understood it too. He'd asked the same things many, many years ago to the one who came before him except this time; it had more weight now than it did then. Because it was Neku asking him.

Because it was Neku who wanted answers…

Joshua shook his head. And suddenly all around them, they were in back in the Scramble Crossing with a still smoking gun in his pale hands and the crowds that did not see them moved and hurried to wherever it was they were supposed to go.

Neku's hands slid down from his face, and raised grief filled eyes that stared up at his companion that isn't really there. This was nothing, despite how real everything looked and felt and sounded. Nothing was real in this dark world in the heart of the Dissonance. This was not here and not there either. This was nowhere. This was…

This was—

"Why….?" He asked again louder. He wanted to scream and shout and yell and rage. _"Why? Why? Why?"_

And the figures of the not-quite crowds stopped in mid-step and froze. The lights stopped their blinking and the cars ceased their movements and like static, Joshua's white form seemed to fluctuate and fade just a little. Joshua looked at his hands and smiled that wry little smile of his and thought how amusing it was.

It was like looking for the station one liked on the radio but when the signal's wrong, the sound fluctuates and makes static sounds. Music lost in Dissonance. Joshua turned to Neku, who was kneeling on the streets the way he did a long time ago.

And when Joshua opened his mouth to say the words that weren't _quite _the answer, Neku had no choice but to _look._

"_Neku, I lost our game…"_

"What did you say…?" He murmured, standing up.

"_What do you mean 'you lost'? You __**shot me!!**__"_

Neku turned swiftly to see himself, his _younger _selfstanding just a little behind him, blue eyes ablaze with despair and face trailed with dried tears. The sight of his fifteen year old self like that sent a shock through him and suddenly like the floodgates that held the memory of this day suddenly burst forth and rushed through him.

It was a little disorienting to see another him about as faded as the now ghostly images of the figures all around him. But here, there was only _one _Joshua standing there, holding the smoking gun. The same gun that killed him so long ago…

He saw his other self running toward Joshua angrily; hands balled into fists to strike his pale companion. Neku turned his eyes away not wanting to _see _the blow he did then.

"You have to look, Neku."

Neku closed his eyes tightly, biting his lip enough that it drew blood. It tasted tangy in his tongue. Was he even supposed to taste anything in here?

"Neku."

Neku opened his eyes.

"Look."

Neku slowly turned to the voice and saw Joshua on the ground with a not-quite-smile on his thin lips with his younger self punching him in his frustration and anger and every other emotion he had then. Each punch connected sending the horrible sound of flesh against fists that seemed a little too loud in the silence of their surroundings with the non-crowds frozen in this world. The gun fell and tumbled away from where they lay. And Joshua…

Joshua bled…

Joshua _bled._

"You bled…" Neku murmured, surprised at that trickle of red running down the corner of his lips.

Joshua smiled wryly. "I did…" He said.

"_Why are you so surprised?"_

He asked turning to the other Neku who was now looking down at him, mirroring the shock in his face. Neku wondered how he could've thought that Joshua couldn't bleed. He was once human too, right? Why could his blood not be as red as his?

Why?

"_I'm __**dead!**__ You __**killed **__me! You __**won**__, you bastard! What more do you want from me?!"_

_Joshua looked up at him evenly without pain in his eyes. Only sadness and maybe a little regret. But regret for what? He did not lose. He was not the one who died. He was not the one who forfeited his life for a little game that he didn't understand what it was for. And now because he couldn't shoot his partner whom he trusted, Shibuya would end…_

_Shibuya would…_

"_Bastard…!" He murmured weakly. "You bastard…"_

_Joshua looked up at him, smiling and reached up to hold him by the shoulders, making him flinch at the contact. Joshua's hands were frigid cold like the dead._

_Like the dead…_

"_Neku, I lost. You are the Composer now."_

_Neku stared and stared and stared as if it would make a difference and he didn't hear what Joshua said. But it didn't change anything. And the words that hung in the air still remained. Neku couldn't believe it and Joshua's cold grip on his shoulders was as real as him and he._

_This was the truth._

"_There are no lies here now, Neku…" Joshua said softly. "Only the truth…."_

_Neku just stared._

"_I knew that it would be you…" Joshua continued. "I set up the game to make sure that I lost either way…"_

"_You lost…? What…?"_

"_Did you know? Shibuya is dying because of me… She begged me to end her existence, thinking that it was the people's minds that poisoned her and themselves…. But even she didn't know that the reason for her decline was me." he paused. "The Mural's Weaving has grown weak because my Soul has weakened…" _

_Neku's eyes widened in surprise as he watched Joshua's white form flicker in static and buzzing noise seemed to come from every side of Shibuya. Neku winced at the static noise. It hurt his ears._

"_That's the 'Dissonance'…" Joshua said as he stood up and passed through Neku like he was a ghost. Neku shivered at the contact, goose bumps crawled on his skin. Joshua was frigid cold as dead. "The Dissonance has always been there… It's just that what I did during this game… the Questionable things I did in this game… Had made it stronger…"_

_Joshua turned to Neku, sadly._

"_It will eat up this world if not stopped… And you are the only one who could stop it…" he smiled that odd little smile. "Because you are so bright…"_

_Neku stood up and turned to Joshua, eyes wide._

"_Why me?" he asked. "I didn't ask for all this!"_

_Joshua glanced at him as the buzzing static noise of the Dissonance continued to murmur and shout at them. If Neku strained his ears he would be able to hear the words… _

_But whose…?_

"_Neku…"_

_Neku reached out to grab Joshua by the collar but his hands…_

…_Passed through him._

Neku looked at the expression on his younger self's face that was strange looking now from another point-of-view. But he remembered what it felt like when his hands grasped nothing but shimmering _nothing. _Neku looked on at the emotions playing in his face. He knew what that was…

He knew it was—

—_sadness… Neku knew what he would grasp when he tried to touch and he expected it and yet he couldn't help the disappointment from showing in his eyes when he was right. Neku looked down at his hands and then at his friend's slowly fading form._

"_Joshua… Are you…?"_

"… '_Being erased'?" He finished with a grin. "Yes…" he replied, cheerfully. "I suppose I am…" he added as he turned to—_

—Neku standing there watching the scene play out, helpless as he was to stop the memory. Joshua smiled a little sadly at him. Purple-blue eyes that, for the first time he noticed the little regret in them.

"I suppose I really am…" Joshua said again but this time, it was for him.

Neku clenched his hands to fists trying not to reach out to him _again _because he knew he would not touch anything. He opened his mouth to ask—

"—_why?"_

"_Because it's my time." Joshua replied simply.  


* * *

  
_

The Graffiti on the walls moved faster and faster all around them. The Noise were chattering and chattering and the Dissonance was getting louder and louder and more insistent with their combined cries that sounded so pitiful, hateful, _oh so _utterly _tempting _in the strangest, sickly-sweet way.

Shiki felt the ground beneath her bound feet shake. Lady Shibuya was restrained beside Kariya watching calmly with a small frown that wrinkled her forehead. Uzuki was screaming bloody murder, trying to free herself from capture. Her high-pitched shrieks and death threats only served to entertain Emiya further. Kariya gritted his teeth as he tried unsuccessfully to free himself and cursed when his pin melted in his hands.

His futile attempts made Emiya chuckle.

"My, my… Look what I caught…" he remarked cheerfully as he sat down on the Composer's throne. He rested his chin on his fists as he leaned forward. "How interesting…"

"_When I get out of this I swear I'll—Aaaargh!!" _Uzuki screeched.

Emiya laughed louder. "Really, my dear. You should just give up and give in."

Uzuki smirked. "Not my style you _punk!_" And she tried to wriggle out some more.

Emiya shrugged nonchalantly. "Your funeral."

Then he turned to the pillar of red mass in the middle of the room when the red _(blood?) _paint crawled and oozed to. Inside it, Neku was imprisoned. Shiki worriedly turned her gaze to it and at the swirling graffiti on the walls. It was not looking good.

Emiya smiled at her.

"Just a little more." He remarked, looking up at the walls and the pillar. "It's almost about time now, I think…"

"Time for what?"

A wicked little grin curved up his thin lips. They followed his gaze to when Lady Shibuya was. Shiki gasped when she realized what she was seeing.

_No…!_

"For erasure of course." He replied, cheerfully.

All around them, they saw the Room become just a little more transparent and outside the buildings and the houses and the shops and the streets, flicking in and out of existence. The same way, Shiki realized in horror, Joshua did in those last days a long time ago. She turned her gaze back to Emiya who sat there with a small pained smile on his thin lips.

"It's the only way to end it after all…" he whispered more to himself than anyone else...

* * *

"_Why…?" Neku asked again._

"_Because I knew you would be the only one could…" Joshua replied._

"_I don't want it!"_

_Joshua frowned. "Neku…" he began with his voice laced the same way his mother's voice would whenever he was being extremely dense and she tried to explain to him something of great import. "You said you needed to."_

_Neku turned away. "I… wanted to." He confessed, truthfully as he turned away from the fading form. "Just so I can get my friends back their life… I have to become Composer…" he paused. "But…"_

"_But?"_

"_And where would that leave you?" He asked._

"_What?" _

"_If I become Composer, what would happen to you?"_

_Joshua flicked a lock of stray, pale hair away from his eyes irritated. "What does that have to do with anything?"_

"_Fuck! Everything, you bloody idiot!" Neku shouted angrily. _

"_What do you mean 'everything'? I will simply disappear from this world!" He replied._

"_That's the point!" Neku shouted. "You'll disappear!!"_

_Joshua flicked that same lock of pale hair away from his eyes again, face giving away his irritation.  
_

_"So?" he asked, nonchalantly. _

_It only served to full Neku's anger and frustration._

_"No matter how irritating and arrogant you are and no matter how much I want to __**strangle **__you, I don't want you to disappear! You get me?! You can't disappear!"  
_

_The silence that followed was as unexpected as Neku's little confession. Neku thought Joshua was going to say something smart or something stupid just to rile him up. Joshua always did his best to do that, especially when they had been together during their week before... Neku curled his hands to fists, knuckles turned white with the hard grip. His palms turned white where the nails dug. He didn't want to remember Joshua dying for him then. Not that he really did die but still... he didn't want to feel powerless... It felt the same way it did when his old friend died on the way to the mural... _

_Joshua's lips curved up to a small smile. A __**real **__smile. Not the condescending grin that he was so used to seeing on his lips._

"_Neku… You are so strange…" Joshua remarked with laughing, shinning eyes. "Have care, Neku dear. I'd almost think you like me." He wagged his finger in front of his face and tsked.  
_

_Neku gritted his teeth. It wasn't the time to be mocked by an annoying Composer. But trust Joshua to say something inappropriate at a time so serious like this. When he didn't speak, Joshua sighed._

"_I killed you." Joshua said, softly._

"_I know."_

"_You're not going to forgive me for it."_

"_Maybe."_

"_So why bother?"_

_Neku turned to him, frowning. "Because you're my partner."_

_Joshua shook his head as if he didn't understand. "Neku, my demise is inevitable…"_

"_But there must be a way to stall it. Until I could find a way to bring you back!"_

_Joshua tied his fists on his chest, annoyed. Stubborn, stubborn boy…_

"_Why bother?" Joshua asked again._

"_Because you're a bloody perfectionist." Neku said. "And an insufferable one at that! You'll just start turning in your grave if you leave me with Shibuya and I do something funny."_

_Joshua frowned._

"_It's not as easy as that Neku." _

_Neku shrugged, nonchalantly. "As if everything about you is easy."_

_Joshua scowled at him. Neku turned to him, determined._

"_We're partners." Neku said again with finality that booked no arguments._

_As if that would've changed everything. And maybe it did because Joshua looked at him in surprise, the words sank in and the realization that Neku wasn't going to give him up without a fight was just so strangely funny and warm that he chuckled and shook his head. Neku didn't try to look away even as a faint blush colored his cheeks. _

"_You're so selfish, Neku…" he said. "But…"_

"_No 'buts' Joshua." Neku said. "Until me and Mr. H can figure out a way to clear all this Dissonance…."_

_Joshua raised an eyebrow at that. "What makes you think Hanekoma's can help you with this? I'm sure the Higher Ups aren't going to like this. Hanekoma's already in danger as it is." Neku raised an eyebrow at that but Joshua didn't elaborate. He only continued. "You're putting yourself and Shibuya in danger. I'm the bloody cause of the Dissonance. When I'm erased, the Dissonance will disappear with me!"_

"_No it won't." Neku said, matter-of-factly._

_Joshua frowned. He knew that too. Every Composer joined the Dissonance in hopes of destroying it but it only calmed it a bit until it returned with in unrest of the minds of the people. Then the next sacrifice would be needed. Joshua cursed himself. He had hoped that this time he would be able to remove the Dissonance altogether. If this happens, it might just move to Neku and take him too. He couldn't allow that to happen.  
_

"_Of course it will." he lied. He knew he was lying. He knew that Neku wasn't buying it either.  
_

"_But you won't be able to return to the River, right?"_

_Joshua flicked a pale hair away from his face, irritated once again. They were talking in circles._

"_What does it matter?"_

_If Neku could grab Joshua as he was now then he would've done so and yanked his arm back very painfully until his bone popped from its socket. Joshua was even more thick-headed than anyone he'd ever met in his life. UG and RG combined._

"_I know what the River does, Joshua!" He said, exhasperated. "If you can't return to the River, you can't join the Weaving in the Mural and if that happens, you can't be reborn!" He paused. "Are you going to join that thing looming above our heads too?! "_

_Joshua scowled. "Haven't you been listening? This is something I have to do… To atone for my sins… It's my fault! My weakness! My—!"_

_Neku frowned at him._

"_No, you're not, Joshua." He said simply. "Stop trying to hide the truth. It's me, isn't it?"_

_The words caught him off-guard and Joshua scowled._

"_Don't be conceited!"_

"_It's because of the games, isn't it? Or at least I'm part of the problem." Neku paused. "It probably agitated the Dissonance more. Because of the rules you broke, like killing me and joining the game and then bringing us all back... It's always been there but because of the broken rules and the unrest of rules..." He looked at Joshua evenly, booking no arguments. "The game is all about equivalent exchanges and when you broke the rules for me and the game…"_

"_Neku—"_

_Neku scowled at him. "Just shut up for a minute, alright? If I let you say anything else you'll talk us in circles again!!" he interrupted. _

_For once, Joshua snapped his mouth shut._

"_Now, tell me how to do this."_

_Joshua shook his head, tsking at the words and his partner's demands. It was irrational for Neku to want him to still 'live' despite everything. _

"_You're so selfish…" He murmured again._

"_Yeah? Well, it takes one to know one." Neku replied._

_Joshua sighed in defeat. "Neku, the price for what you're asking for… is too high… You may end up regretting it."_

_Neku gritted his teeth. "Doesn't matter." He replied. "I'll only regret things I didn't do than the things I did. If you're erased, then I just as good as killed you. I preferred you came back alive so I could punch that smirk off your pretty boy face one more time."_

_Joshua turned to him and shook his head a small smile on his lips. Only a little sad. Neku was too pure and he shone so brightly in his eyes and in the eyes of Shibuya that he almost thought everything would work out somehow. No. He didn't doubt everything would work out, even if the Dissonance finally appears to them in another vessel... _

_He knew what form it would take... But even so...  
_

_Joshua would protect this world. It was **his **Shibuya after all.  
_

_Not everything was lost._

_Joshua took a deep breath._

_It was time._

"_I would require a fee for it then." He paused for a moment and turned—_

—to Neku standing in the sidelines, watching his memory as it played out, giving him that small sad smile. Neku watched and listened as the words left the former Composer's pale lips. And watched the dread on his younger self's face slowly creeping up. No doubt it mirrored his own.

"_Will you give me something of yours?" Joshua whispered. "The rule of the Underground Game is of Equivalent Exchange after all… It reflects in its games. Of course things that are broken can be made new again to become even stronger… The rule of the Game."_

"_Anything."_

_Joshua shook his head. "You shouldn't promise anything, Neku…" He said seriously._

"_What is it?" Neku asked, impatiently that Joshua had to smile._

"_A memory of yours." He replied, suddenly all business-like. "Because memories are the proof of one's existence… A fitting payment, if you will… A proof of someone's existance for mine… Precious memories of someone… Is that alright?" _

"_Yes."_

"_You… will probably not remember this last exchange either… You shouldn't remember. Because once you remember…" he shook his head not at all finishing his sentence._

"_I understand. Then I won't try to remember. I'll never want to remember."_

_Joshua sighed. "Once again, I ask you: Is this alright?"_

_Neku frowned. "Which memory?" he asked simply as if it answered everything._

"_Emiya." _

Neku was sure he heard himself gasp. But the him of long ago didn't hesitate.

"_Alright."_

Joshua first turned to him and then to the Neku of that long ago day, looking at him with determined young eyes.

_"Emiya might hate you..." _

"_Maybe... And if he does, I'll accept the consequences... Until we find a way to remove the Dissonance..."  
_

"_If you wish it…"_

The forgotten memory of that frozen Shibuya faded away. He didn't need to see what happened next to know because he already knew. It was like a dam broke in his mind and the sudden flood of memories washed into him.

Joshua remained where he stood though the darkness was still around them and their surroundings disappeared. They heard the Dissonance all around them as it whispered and moaned and groaned and begged for the same things that they've always wished for.

_Helpmeremembermelovemehelpme…_

And suddenly Neku just _knew _whose voice it was in the Dissonance that begged for him. He looked up at Joshua who turned away from him, head bowed as if he were tired.

And maybe he was.

"I told you, you would regret it…" He said softly. "No matter how much I wanted to stay… It would've been better if you'd let me fade away…" He looked up sadly. "Now look where it's gotten us…"

Emiya… Emiya was his friend… His friend who died that day… maybe Emiya hated him for forgetting him for Joshua… Emiya was an important friend too and so was Joshua… He'd always regretted not being able to save Emiya so he tried to save Joshua...

He could to save Joshua…

_You don't have to do this, you know..._ Emiya's words echoed in his mind. _I could free you from all this nonsense._

Then it clicked and Neku understood what Emiya wanted… He finally, finally _knew _what was happening! It was so clear now and he cursed himself for not realizing it knew what he had to do. All around him the Dissonance moaned and groaned and begged for him. Then he turned Joshua and smiled. Everything was clear now.

"It's alright." Neku said, softly. "Everything will be fine…"

Joshua looked startled at first then he smiled as his form turned to light and back into the white Cat Noise with the black Reaper wings. He didn't shine as bright but he twinkled against the darkness of this nowhere place they were in.

_Yes… _Joshua agreed. _Everything will be fine…_

Reaching for the pin Neku called for its powers and light came down from above that cleared the darkness of this strange place that—

* * *

—shocked everyone. Emiya stood up in disbelief a scowl painting his features turning it into something that was quite different. The Lady Shibuya smiled, thin lips curling up into an all-knowing smirk. The black and white graffiti on the walls of the Room suddenly stopped their movement and the red paint of the Dissonance burst, with light freeing Neku from his confines and the others from their confines.

But the Neku that stood before them was different now.

Lady Shibuya smiled.

"_Neku!" _ Shiki exclaimed happily.

Bathed in shimmering white light, Neku opened his eyes and looked around him. The red (blood) paint stopped its movement for a moment and then hissed as if hurt by Neku and oozed away back slowly to Emiya's shadow.

"Hello, Neku."

"Emiya…"

Emiya's lips curved up into a small smile.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Neku smiled back at him.

"Yes, it has..." he replied. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting for so long..."

Emiya dusted his shirt and walked a towards him only stopping when Uzuki, Kariya and Shiki ran and stood in front of Neku, ready to defend him. Lady Shibuya remained, standing where she was, watching even as she and everything around her blinked in and out of existance. The lines of the Grafitti on the walls didn't move and as strange was it was, it almost felt like silence.

_"Brat!" _Uzuki shouted then giggled as she cocked her gun, eyes glinting in murderous joy. "I'm fresh out of forgiveness~!"

"Let's go, Mr. Mew!" Shiki called and the stuffed cat moved to her side, ready.

Emiya sighed, tiredly. "Neku, will you please..." He gestured to the others.

"Shiki, Uzuki, Kariya, leave this to me."

_"What?!"_

But Neku-!"

Kariya put a hand on both girls' shoulders and shook his head. Uzuki opened her lips to argue but the look on Kariya's face booked no arguments. She nodded. Shiki turned to look at Neku for a moment and called Mr. Mew to jump into her arms. She caught the doll and squeezed it, worried for her friend.

"Shiki," Neku said. "Go with them. We'll be fine."

Shiki turned away, hands shaking as the world around them flickered and blinked like broken lights. She took a deep breath and let it out.

"Neku! Come back safe, okay?"

Neku smiled though she didn't see.

"Of course." he replied.

Shiki smiled and ran towards Kariya and Uzuki through the door to the trails. Neku watched them for a moment before he turned back to Emiya who stood there, waiting for him to make a move.

Neku closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he reached into his coat, feeling the cold metal digging against his side. The Dissonance was murmuring and groaning and begging and reaching out to them as if pleading them to join with it. Lady Shibuya was fading but she didn't seemed fazed, marely turned her calm gaze at the two in the middle of the fading room and world.

_Helpmeremebermefreemehelpme..._

"I'm sorry, Emiya..." Neku murmured.

"Let's do this, Neku."

Neku nodded. "Then," he began. "Shall we play a game?"

* * *

Shiki, Uzuki and Kariya were out of the Room of Reckoning and the ground had stopped shaking but Shiki couldn't help but feel a sense of unease leaving Neku alone there. But only Neku could do this and he promised he'd be fine. The world was fading and the Noise were frozen in their place, sensing the world's stability fading. Eager and hungry.

Shiki felt a hand on her shoulder but she knew it wasn't Kariya's or Uzuki because they were standing in front of her, looking back at the Sewers that lead to the trails. Then that must mean....

_It will be fine. _

Shiki was surprised. She knew that voice.

"Joshua...?"

She turned to where the voice came from but stopped in her tracks when she heard a loud bang coming from where they had emerged from. Shiki turned to the Sewers again, eyes wide in fear.

It came from the Room of Reckoning.

**To be continued...**

**

* * *

**

Sorry it took so long. I'm just not very confident with this chapter but I hope it's alright... I was just suffering from a bad case of writer's block. And when my DS broke down and couldn't play a game it made me really sad. Not to mention that things just kept happening... So up until now, I'm still confused. I haven't given up on anything. The next chapter will be out sooner, I think. I just hope it's not so bad.

Please forgive me....

Thank you very much for reading.


	8. Chapter 8

**"Innocence"  
Chapter Eight:**

* * *

It was probably irony in his part, Neku thought, that he should use the same gun that took his life a long time ago…

A thin trail of smoke poured out from the barrel of the gun Neku held in his hand. His aim was true even though he'd never fired a gun before in his whole life. Guns were hard to obtain and he had no desire to own one after that month in the game. A gun took his life long before and strangely; his inability to fire one on that duel with Joshua made him Composer. He knew how it felt to have a bullet through your heart. It was hot and searing and oh so painful and suddenly oh so cold. The crimson that had blossomed in his chest then was not something he'd like to have happen again.

And he had vowed he's never use one. Never, ever.

And yet here he was, breaking his vow, with a gun in his steady hand and the smoke trailing from the barrel in almost the same predicament as he was in quite some time ago.

His life seemed to revolve around ironies.

"What the hell was that?" Emiya asked, smirking.

Neku shrugged putting the gun down his side. He had fired the gun up to the not-quite-there-anymore ceiling. The cold metal slowly warmed at his grip. Emiya continued to smirk at him.

"Is that the same one?" Emiya asked, casually.

Neku continued to smile. "Yeah… Funny, isn't it?"

Emiya shrugged. "Maybe. More sick if anything… I mean, do you really wanna use the same gun?"

Neku closed his eyes the smile never leaving his lips. "Maybe…" he replied but stopped when Emiya sighed tiredly, his hands trembled. "Emiya? Is that—?"

Emiya put up a hand to stall his next words. He took a deep breath hugging himself and the Dissonance seemed frozen in a single static noise. It repeated the same lines over and over and over again. It would have been deafening for others and to some, it might've made their skin crawl with Goosebumps. Emiya grunted as if in pain. The red blood/paint continued to pour out from his shadow. It bubbled and boiled from beneath Emiya's feet.

"Emiya, the Dissonance…"

Emiya took a few more deep breaths and the blood/paint and much to Neku's horror, it began to ooze out from Emiya's wrists and slowly down his eyes like tears. Crimson stained his shirt. For a moment Neku remembered the red of blood. Emiya shuddered. The Room shook with him and was suddenly several degrees colder. Their breaths fogging out from their mouth as they exhaled.

"_Emiya!"_

"_Don't come near me!!" _

Neku froze mid-step at the menacing aura coming from Emiya.

Lady Shibuya who stood behind them became even more ghost-like…

* * *

"_Neku!!" _Shiki screamed.

She was about to run toward the entrance to the sewers, worried. But an invisible barrier stopped her. She turned and looked around wildly. She half-expected Joshua would be there but he wasn't. Kariya and Uzuki readied themselves. The Noise were swirling around them as if waiting for a sign.

Shiki ran towards the Reapers, knowing she couldn't help Neku even if she could rush in there. The sounds of the Dissonance were getting louder until it finally uttered a loud, ear-piercing shriek. They covered their ears and winced.

When the shriek stopped, the Noise glowed, inhuman eyes turning more and more eerie and dangerous. Kariya tsked waiting.

"What a pain…" He murmured.

"Since when hasn't it been?" Shiki muttered.

Uzuki took a deep breath and cocked her gun, ready. "Let's give them a special!"

The lights were drained from the lampposts and buildings. The Noise continued to glow in their eerie light and the ground…

The ground shook.

* * *

_Helpmehelpmehelpmehelpme…_

* * *

Emiya glared at him from where he stood in the middle of the red Dissonance. It oozed and crawled and moaned and groaned to Neku begging for the lost things and the lost dreams and everything else that had been forgotten. Emiya gritted his teeth as the Dissonance continued to crawl up his legs, staining his denim pants red. For a moment, Neku remembered the phone call from his mother when Emiya was killed and the sight of his own blood on Udagawa's cold asphalt ground…

Crimson that was almost black….

Just like the Dissonance that was trying to eat up Emiya now…

_Helpmehelpmehelpmehelpme…_

The Dissonance moaned and groaned, impatient and insistent. The chaos of sounds assaulting their senses. The Room and everything around it blinked in and out of existence, fading as the Dissonance continued to crawl nearer to him. Emiya struggled to keep standing as it continued to ooze out from him.

"_Emiya!!"_

Neku called and a beam of white light fell and managed to free Emiya's for a little allowing him to stand properly. The blood tears flowed down from his eyes. It hurt. It hurt so very much but he knew he had to endure just a little more. He had to.

"Neku…" Emiya called. His voice was steady despite the pain in his body that isn't quite his at all. "A game…"

"One last game…" Neku murmured.

The Dissonance crawled closer to him…

* * *

"_Now would be a very good time for a rescue!!!" _ Uzuki screeched as she fired her gun at one of the Noise.

The shaking of the ground and the strange eerie sounds coming from the Trails seemed to have woken the Noise from their stupor and immediately attacked anything and everything they saw moving which, of course, included Shiki, Kariya and Uzuki.

It was difficult to fight with the shaking ground and Shiki stumbled quite a few times.

Uzuki shrieked as she kicked one Jellyfish Noise that tried to grab one of her legs with its slimy tentacle. Kariya would've found it extremely funny especially with how Uzuki was shrieking her anger and stomping at the now poor and helpless jelly Noise. But he couldn't find the breath in him to laugh. With his beanpaste-flavored lollipop long gone, the Noise attacking and Shibuya disappearing all around them, he couldn't laugh outright.

Maybe when it was all over, whatever end happened, he'd laugh.

"Aah~! It wasn't a bad life… or afterlife. Whatever it is…" He muttered, dodging the quills from another Noise and hit it with a good kick. It disintegrated on the impact.

With most of the Noise near them gone now he sighed in relief and looked over to Uzuki, satisfied that it's clean of Noise on her side.

"Ah, don't look now but I think we've got trouble!!" Shiki shouted.

Turning to the brown-haired girl, they saw a large elephant Noise approaching them, eyes glowing in fury. Kariya's mouth fell open. It wasn't _that_ he was worried about. He could take it on without much of a problem and with Uzuki and Shiki's help, it would be cinch. But the millions of Noise right behind it was another matter…

"Oh… _shit…!_" Kariya swore.

Shiki couldn't have agreed with him more.

* * *

Emiya tied his fists on his chest. "So?" he asked, expectantly.

Neku looked down at his hands, took a deep breath and closed his eyes thinking. When he exhaled, he opened his eyes, a small smirk on his lips.

_Oh, the irony…_

"Why don't we play one last Game?" Neku asked, in his mind the words replayed in someone else's voice and in some other time he couldn't forget even if he tried.

Emiya shrugged, nonchalant.

It was probably going to be a simple game after all.

"Why not?" He replied.

'Why not?' indeed.

"The winner gets to be the Composer and do whatever he likes with Shibuya." Neku continued. "If you win, you decide. If I win, I'll decide."

Emiya frowned. "You do realize that if I win, Shibuya will drown in Dissonance and disappear…" He murmured.

"Of course." He said.

_You've decided then. _

Neku didn't have to turn around to know that Joshua stood behind him. No longer a Cat Noise but in his true form. White, flickering silver light. Joshua was cold though. Like the dead but then he really was dead. The hair the back of his neck stood at the thought.

Emiya watched him with challenging eyes and a smirk in his lips. The Dissonance bubbled and boiled beneath his feet, moaning their endless mantra around them.

"What are the rules?"

* * *

"_Just fucking die!!"_

Kariya laughed, breathlessly at that. Uzuki never ceased to amaze him with her large repertoire of shrieks and little sayings. The girl was most definitely his kind of girl. Just being around her ceased his boredom. Not that he was bored right then. But _man, _Uzuki could probably _kill _with a shriek if it were only a weapon.

_Next time, I'll ask the higher ups if I could get one for her. _He thought absent-mindedly. _Or have them make one for her. It'll be… very interesting._

"_Watch out, stupid Kariya!!!" _ She shouted.

He narrowly missed another stomp and fired another one of his electric pins at it. The Elephant Noise shriveled up—_thank goodness! _He thought—and disappeared. He smirked.

"Whew! Almost turned to pancake there for a moment."

"_Stop spacing out, you imbecile! Help me!!"_

Kariya clicked his tongue. "Damn, girl!" He muttered, smiling.

Shiki rolled her eyes at the shriek as she called Mr. Mew to her and they did a joint kick on the Jelly Noise. It disappeared but before she could get away, another Noise swooped down with its claws ready.

Shiki wouldn't be able to move even if she wanted to.

* * *

"The rules are extremely basic. I'm going to count to ten and on zero we shoot."

A gun formed his Emiya's hands, something identical to what Neku held. Emiya smiled at him in that strange sickly-sweet way.

"Okay."

"One… Two—!"

"_Ten!" _Emiya suddenly shouted and fired.

The sound of the loud _bang _echoed all over for the second time that night. And red…

Red was the colour of the day.

Shiki stared. Even the Noise were suddenly frozen in place. The same way as everything and everyone else. A chill ran up her spine. She didn't even want to know what it meant but before she could say anything else, she and Kariya with Uzuki froze in place.

And everything and everyone turned to red blood/paint. Slowing flowing back into the sewers straight into the trails.

* * *

Everything was silent.

* * *

Emiya walked toward Neku's prone form on the now bloodied floor. Joshua's flickering hadn't stopped but he wasn't hurt by it at all. He remained standing just as he had, though now he looked down at Neku. His purple-blue eyes shielded by his pale hair. Emiya smirked and crouched beside him, chin resting on the palm of his hands. The red and black paint/blood pooling at their feet, bubbling and boiling with their endless mantra and joined with the blood from Neku.

"Aah~! I thought it was going to be longer…"

He reached down and poked Neku's cheek with his forefinger smiling. When Neku didn't move he gathered up Neku in his arms and stroked his orange hair as if he were only asleep, cradled like a lost child.

"Hush now, Neku-kun." He said. "I'll erase Shibuya for you… And then you can rest easy. You can join me… We can be together again. The way we always were…. Always will be…"

Lady Shibuya moaned her despair and the Dissonance from outside continued its sickening march toward them.

Joshua looked on.

And Neku's finger twitched unnoticed.

* * *

It was strange what one can realize after one's been shot.

It was a game within a game. Neku suddenly realized as he felt Emiya's fingers through his hair. The reason why _he _became Composer. Joshua made a bet with himself that he'd lose either way… If he had shot Joshua then, Joshua would die and he would become Composer. If he didn't shoot him, then the bet Joshua made with himself would be the one active and he would _still _be Composer.

What was that he said? _I made the game so that I'd lose either way… _Joshua was as sly as they come. He wondered for a moment if that was cheating.

But he bled and _Fuck! _It _hurt. _But there was no cold feeling though. Not the same feeling as he had when he was first killed. Not the same as that last game he played with Joshua.

And, he wanted to curse outloud at how absurd the whole thing was but then he was still Composer because even though he didn't make the same bet as Joshua had done, Emiya had cheated.

And he was still Composer. But playing dead wasn't going to work. The Dissonance continued to sing and he felt icky just laying on his own blood and that of the red Dissonace that crawled over to them as if planning to swallow him up whole. Emiya looked down at him, and saw him awake. And for the first time in a long, _long _time, Neku saw his poor friend's eyes.

_Helpmehelpmehelpmehelpme…_

There was a strange, desperate, glint of madness in his eyes. The Dissonance continued to sing their unruly chorus, closer and closer they came. Neku felt the Dissonance grow and to his horror he saw why. He scrambled up to his feet, eyes wide, leaving Emiya looking up at him. The red and black paint/blood were crawling back to Emiya, binding him to them and their lost dreams and lost wishes and it seemed as if it took others with it.

Neku bit his lower lip enough that he tasted blood. His clothes were stained with the crimson of the paint/blood and he felt sick to his stomach. Behind him, Shibuya, the city and the lady, grew fainter and an image of a barren, grassy place flickered in its place. There wasn't much time but he needed to know.

"Why Emiya…?"

Emiya smiled wistfully.

"But why go through all that…?" Neku asked again. "If this is all my fault, why not me then? I was—!"

Emiya frowned. "It's not just you… It wasn't you… Not quite…" He shrugged. "I was jealous, I think. Of Shibuya, of the Composer… or everything and everyone around you. Because all the while I was thinking, why couldn't it be me who stood beside you…?"

"Emiya…"

"My small weakness allowed the Dissonance to affect me more… Because my wish was great…"

Emiya scowled, eyes glinting, madly. "It's because of Shibuya that everything happened…" He began. "You… Me… _Him_." He jabbed a finger at Joshua's flickering form. "…Countless others before _him_. Joshua knew you would be the one to be able to get rid of it. Or at least with biggest chance of it. He knew you were coming. He planned to become the vessel for it a long time ago… Long before my time and yours…"

Neku turned to Joshua who's face remained unreadable then back at Emiya, his friend, on his knees with the Dissonance all around them, moaning and moaning…

"You remember, right?" He continued. "Udagawa is special. Not only because a copy of the mural's there. I died going to it and you died there and Joshua… Joshua died there as well…"

Neku didn't know… Joshua never told him of it.

Emiya looked down at his hands. "He knew about the Game long before he died. He also knew of the game and everything that occurred in it… He told you that right?" Neku nodded, dumbly. "He also knew about the Dissonance… Just because the city 'Shibuya' didn't exist then doesn't mean 'Shibuya' the world wasn't there…"

Emiya smiled, wistfully at Joshua. Joshua with his ageless, purple-blue eyes….

"The Dissonance is formless so it needed a vessel to exist… It will disappear when contained and killed along with the vessel."

"And you've become the vessel then." Neku whispered. It wasn't a question.

Emiya nodded. "Yes…" He paused. "I knew… you know… In the game. I played it too, I became a Reaper for a while before..." He paused and turned away. Neku understood. "I met the Composer and I watched as you played yours… But I also knew as you were partnered to him… I understood that he'd be important to you too. You didn't know it then but I knew…. I told him what you might do. He didn't agree to it but he had no choice because I went on anyway…"

Emiya winced and grasped his head in pain.

"_Emiya!!!"_

Emiya raised his eyes to Neku. Despair fell into the pit of his stomach like a rock. The Dissonance was eating him up, crawling up his legs and arms and wrapping them in their impossible mantra or desires that couldn't be fulfilled. In the midst of it all, Neku heard Emiya's voice.

_Helpmehelpmehelpmehelpme…_

Emiya or what once was Emiya, stood up, eyes no longer sane. No longer his friend. From his mouth, a thousand voices of despair could be heard. Neku raised his gun, hands trembling. Emiya wasn't going to attack him. But he also knew that he couldn't hold out much longer. The Dissonance was crawling and moaning and groaning its mantra at them.

If it couldn't be destroyed, it will spread out its poison in the other cities… Swallow everything in its path… But he couldn't shoot…

_He's no longer Emiya, Neku… _Joshua gently reminded him.

"I know." He said.

_Then you know what to do…_

Neku closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Emiya would not want to be this way forever…

_Emiya… _

He opened them. He was ready. He raised his gun and it was then that he saw and felt it—not just as a memory in his mind or his eyes playing tricks on him—for the first time in—he didn't know how long now—Joshua's pale, and strangely _warm, _translucent hands encircled his own as they both held the gun. It steadied his trembling hand.

This was their burden. They were going to pay their dues today.

It was equivalent exchange after all.

Emiya growled his now inhuman scream of those thousand voices—

—_They _pulled the trigger—

**To be Continued…**


	9. Chapter 9

"**Innocence"  
Chapter Nine:**

* * *

For the second time, Neku found himself floating in darkness.

It was the same way that Neku had been when the Dissonance swallowed him up a few—_moments? hours? days?—_ago. Neku closed his eyes and looked around, the smoking gun still in his hand and the heat of Joshua's pin against his chest. The heat seeped through his coat... There was nothing all around him. Neku found himself disliking the dark now more than ever because this means mean they were too late.

"Too late…" He murmured.

He was too late.

He didn't know _what _to feel then. Everything and everyone he ever knew was gone. His parents, his friends… and the city that housed all memories of them… and Joshua.

Neku curled up into a ball.

"Strange…" He murmured. "I should be crying by now…"

But he couldn't. It was cold and lonely and his world where all of his memories of his life were, was gone. And he was left alone again and this time, it was because it was his fault. Now that it was too late… there was nothing left to hope for.

There was just him and the nothingness.

"Joshua… you bastard..." he cursed as the tears finally, _finally, _fell. "I told you, you chose the wrong guy…" He hid his face on his knees, trying to keep his eyes away from this blatant failure.

What use was being a Composer for? There was nothing here… Nothing but this black—

—_Black is the absence of colour—_

Neku startled and looked up. He swore he heard a voice. A familiar voice. The voice echoed across the darkness of that nowhere place. There was something about it that was just so…

—_when there is no light, all we see is black—_

Neku was sure this time. It _was_ a familiar voice. He stood up and looked around, squinting to see if there was anyone else there with him. Hope sprung in his chest as he started to run to the direction of that familiar voice, praying that there were others there with him.

_"Is there anyone else here?!"_ He shouted.

—_And white is the mixture of all colours_—

_"Anyone?!" _

But no one answered. There was nothing but the sound of his echoing voice and that strange sinking feeling. It was like falling ever so slowly into a bog. This despair was reacting to the darkness around him, slowly dragging him down to its very depths quite literally. But Neku didn't care anymore. There was nothing left for him after all. Everything was gone…

_Everything was gone…_

Neku closed his eyes, tears rolling down the side of his face at his failure. If Shibuya was gone then what use did its Composer have? There was no hope… No…

"Didn't think you'd be the kind to suddenly give up…."

Neku's eyes flew open at the voice.

_It couldn't be—! _He thought, shocked.

He looked around or at least tried to. He was very literally sinking down into the blackness. Alarmed, he struggled, suddenly panicking. There was someone left! Someone was here! He wasn't imagining things! His mind rejoiced but with all his flailing, he was still sinking down, down, down into the icky blackness that was very much like the Dissonance he just escaped from.

_Damn! If this continues—! _He cursed. He threw his hand up and was caught by strong able hands that grabbed his wrists and pulled him out in one heave.

Neku coughed as he got out on all fours. He must've swallowed more that just a mouthful of that black thing. It tasted awful. Like bile but not quite, Like grief and despair with the scent of agony and other things that couldn't quite be named. It was foul. Neku had the sudden urge to soak in the bath for a week just to get that cold, foul feeling off of his person.

"Hey…."

Neku looked up from where he was, eyes going as wide as saucers.

"Phones…"

Hanekoma stood there with the same lazy smile and dark glasses, the same as he had always remembered him. The same as the day he last saw him before the Dissonance took him. Neku scrambled to his feet. Did that mean, they were _still_ in the Dissonance?

"Nope. Wrong again, Phones." Hanekoma replied, smiling, reading the alarmed look on his face. "This isn't the Dissonance…"

"Then—?"

Hanekoma smiled. "This is Shibuya. Or what _will be _Shibuya."

Neku frowned, not quite understanding.

"If this is Shibuya… Then… She's dead?" The word whispered, fearfully.

Hanekoma scratched his nape, a little embarrassed. Then smiled and shook his head.

"Not quite." He replied, slowly. "Unless… _you_ want her to be."

Neku' scowled. There was no time to be so cryptic about the whole thing. He was sick with worry. That was putting it lightly. Neku didn't know what to think of. Emiya… He shot Emiya. He shot…

He looked down at his trembling hands, shocked when he saw they were blood-soaked.

_With Emiya's blood… _

A strangled scream almost escaped his mouth at the vision of the blood but pale hands reached out and covered his eyes, blocking that sight. Neku knew, even without looking, whose hands those belonged to. He knew them anywhere.

"Joshua…" He murmured.

"Neku…" Joshua whispered.

The hands lifted and Neku turned to look at Joshua's smirking face. He looked the same as he did that last night under the moon, in his room. That day, before he was erased. He seemed to flicker and fade as he did in that old memory.

"Cat got your tongue?"

Neku didn't know whether to laugh or cry and had that overwhelming urge to just tackle him and beat the sense out of him and this senseless place.

"Joshua, I…"

Joshua shook his head, frowning. "There isn't much time, Neku." He interrupted. "There's something you have to do."

Neku took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. True. There was just too much time wasted, and very little time to be had to fix this mess. The silence was deafening around him. He looked up at Joshua, yearning very much to at least hold his hand but…

"What do I need to do?

Joshua pointed somewhere behind him. And he turned to find that not all of Shibuya had disappeared. There, half-eaten by the darkness, stood the wall in Udagawa. The colours of the graffiti faded and almost gone. But the wall was still there. Even from where he stood, he felt it. That faint heartbeat.

"The Mural needs to be replaced now, Neku." Joshua whispered. "Mr. H can't do it anymore. You have to begin soon."

Neku turned to the wall again.

"Shibuya's not… gone, right?" He said the words again, softly, almost afraid that if he spoke them out loud, it might not be true.

Joshua who gave him an encouraging smile.

"It'll be alright, Neku, you'll see."

He knew he shouldn't find the words so comforting. They were very reckless words after all. Thoughtless, reckless words because it might not be true. Anything and everything that could go wrong will always go wrong but still, the comfort those reckless words were enough for him. It was more than enough, he finally decided. Especially in that place where everything ended and began anew.

He took a step toward the wall and then another and then another until he was right before it. He wondered for a moment if Joshua had done the same thing as he was about to do, when he ascended to the Throne. He wondered how any times Shibuya had gone through this sort of rebirth.

This new search for this new Music. This new Symphony…

The wall was cool to touch under his palm and rough. But still it breathed. Ragged and labored. Yet it still breathed. And it waited for its new Composer to give it life.

A better life.

In any other time, he thought he wouldn't be able to think of what to draw. At least not after what had happened some few (hours? days? years?) ago. But strangely, he knew _exactly _what he would paint.

The materials appeared nearby. And maybe on any other occasion he would wonder why it was there and how it got there. But at that moment, he didn't. He was the Composer after all. He could do anything he wanted. This was his world to shape and craft.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he exhaled. The images of his world appeared in his mind. The crowded streets, the bustling crossing to 104, the statue of Hachiko, the faces of all the people he met and that purple-blue gaze… He carved it all into his mind. And when he opened his eyes again, he took up the spray can of purple-blue (_Like Joshua's eyes. _He thought to himself) and started with an arch.

All around him, as he drew and painted, things started to materialize. First it was the sky, bluer than the sky had ever been and then the ground, the concrete roads, the trees on certain places and grass and then the walls and the buildings appeared. Each and every brick slowly formed all around them.

Neku didn't have to look. He knew what he would see. The mural's painting continued to form and then there was a cool breeze and some birds appeared and then the crows cawed, happily even though their voices proved to be horrid but still they were singing. There were singing with every arch and curve of the paints as the mural and Neku's world, took shape.

Neku turned to them with a small smile on his lips. There was paint on the tip of his nose, but he didn't care. Joshua was smiling and the Room of Reckoning was rebuilt. The black and white graffiti lines moved about its walls, humming its appreciation.

Soon, they stood in an empty city, but it was alive.

It breathed and sang its melody.

Mr. Hanekoma gave out an low, appreciative whistle as he reached out with his senses. The Mural pulsed like a new heartbeat.

Shibuya was reborn.

"I gotta hand it to you, Phones…" Mr. Hanekoma remarked, patting him on the back. "It's way better than I expected it to be." He took another look at the Mural. "Much, much better…"

"Thanks."

Then he looked around, stretching his senses to feel the outside. The buildings were there, but there were no people.

Neku opened his mouth to ask where the people were, Joshua smiled at him, a little wistfully and he knew he might not like the answer to that.

"They'll be back, Neku." Joshua reassured him.

Neku raised an eyebrow, arms akimbo. "What's the catch?"

Because nothing in this world was free. It was a rule after all.

Joshua gave out a small chuckle and shook his head then looked at Neku, that wistful smile still on his lips. Mr. Hanekoma turned away, dark glasses hiding his eyes.

"Neku…" Joshua said. "You have to let me go now."

Alarmed, Neku grasped Joshua's hand. It was solid, but just barely. Joshua's touch was as cool as morning breeze and his form almost translucent, fleeting.

"Why…?" He whispered, half-brokenly. Joshua was finally here with him. After so long…

"I have to join the River now or your Shibuya wouldn't be complete and the people will not return…" Joshua reached out and touched his arm, the one that held his. "My time has ended, Neku…"

Neku shut his eyes, willing the tears away. He looked like an idiot, he knew that. And Joshua wouldn't hesitate to call him so if he saw it. So he breathed out a trembling sigh. He understood what borrowed time meant more than anyone else.

Neku knew.

Neku opened his eyes and nodded. Joshua smiled at him. Hanekoma stood there to watch them. Joshua paused for a moment and then turned to him. It may have been out of character for him, but Joshua knew his manners. He bowed to Hanekoma, deep and respectful.

"Thank you."

Hanekoma, pushed his glasses up his face and bowed in return.

"It has been an honour, Kiryuu Yoshiya." The angel replied.

Joshua straightened up and turned, back straight and proud as he walked beside Neku. Hanekoma watched them leave through the great doors. The graffiti all around him, moving and humming.

Their steps went _tap tap tap, _echoing across the halls, hands together, comforting.

They walked this way and that, in silence, reminiscing old days and old memories, until the rush of the River's torrent reached their ears. Their steps ceased and silenced and they were alone. Neku wanted to say something, anything to make the silence go away but the words he wanted to say tangled up in a knot in this throat. And he couldn't say it. Instead, he savored the feel of Joshua's hand holding his own, memorizing the feel of it as they braved this way once again.

"Neku, it's time." Joshua whispered, softly.

"I see…"

It was the only thing he could think of to say. Because what more can you say to the person you'd seen die twice?

But he couldn't contain the feeling of sadness as Joshua's hand slipped from his and the sound of Joshua's steps as he walked toward the River. And watched him stand there, in the middle of that grafitti bridge with the torrents of singing Imagination beneath his feet. The people were in there. In the River but they needed Joshua because he needed to give himself up. Because Composers needed to return to the River and give their souls back to the Mural. One day, Neku knew, he would return to the River as well. Give himself up to the Mural and rest in the River.

It was the way things went.

Yet, despite understanding that, Neku couldn't watch. He closed his eyes trying to swallow the lump in this throat and—

"—Neku?—"

Joshua's voice cut through his thoughts and he turned to watch as the River rose up all around Joshua, nearly engulfing him, reaching his waist. He ran toward Joshua, hands out as if to grab him but Joshua shook his head. It froze him in his tracks.

"—Neku—"

Joshua called again.

"Yeah?" He croaked, voice choked with tears.

Joshua gave him the most brilliant smile there ever was as he burned brighter than anything Neku has seen. Like a dying star.

Joshua's lips moved, forming words that no one would ever hear. Neku's eyes went wide in shock. Neku could read his lips. Neku knew the words without a sound. Neku knew. Before he could do anything else, however, the River suddenly exploded in white light. Everything around them, singing in perfect Harmony, engulfing Joshua and Neku and the whole city in warm, comforting light.

And when it cleared…

Somewhere outside, Shiki, Kariya and Uzuki woke up to find the sky blue and the Noise gone and they knew that Neku was victorious.

Somewhere outside, the other Reapers were startled to find themselves in Eri's Shop with Eri looking at them in surprise.

Somewhere outside, the Barriers around the city dissolved and disappeared, allowing Beat and Rhyme to hurriedly drive in to search for their friends.

Somewhere outside, the people walked and talked, as if they didn't really disappear for a night. Going on with their daily routines as if nothing happened.

But Neku knew of course.

And Neku also knew, with the thought of the words on Joshua's lips then, that it was so like Joshua to say that.

* * *

**  
To be continued in Epilogue...  
**

* * *

Hullo, it's been a long time since I wrote anything at all. I hope you enjoyed this story. I'm still trying to write an Epilogue for this. I think I should though... Just a short one maybe. Thank you very much for being so patient for me. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish the epilogue before the week ends.

Once again, thank you for being patient and I hope you enjoyed reading this.


	10. Chapter 10

**"Innocence"****  
Epilogue**

**

* * *

  
**

The café was quiet as it was on a slow day. There were a few people there, customers, who wanted the good coffee he brewed. The only real noise he heard was from the outside. The sounds of car horns and footsteps of people hurrying here and there. It could be a little irritating. There was no denying it. But comforting in an odd way. This was after all, good. Nothing but the calm surroundings and the un-denying proof that everything around him _lived _and _breathed. _Everything was just alive.

The scent of coffee surrounded him. And he smiled because it was just so… _nice. _Peaceful. And he didn't quite know why it was. Still there was that strange sort of anticipation in the air. The sounds that the city itself was making. Consciously he tried to ignore it.

At the back of his mind though he knew that something was going to happen today.

Something big.

Something interesting.

The shop door bell rang again, a soft tinkling sound. He raised his head.

"Welcome to the Wild Cat Café!" he greeted, with an easy smile on his lips.

"Yo, Phones!"

"Hi, Neku!"

Beat and Rhyme entered the café, smiling. Rhyme had grown to a very pretty young lady. Pretty enough that Beat once joked that he's going to start to carry a bat everywhere just to fend those ferocious suitors away from her. Rhyme blushed and punched him playfully on the shoulder ("Ouch! She hits _hard_!" Beat exclaimed.) and joked back with her brother. Happy and cheerful. Just as Neku remembered they always were.

Beat bounced in his usual way, unruly blond hair messy as always. He doesn't wear a beanie anymore but still wore that silver chain around his neck. And was still as over protective of Rhyme as ever. Not that she minded though.

"Ya lookin' good, Phones!" Beat remarked, jumping onto a seat in the counter. "Ya not too busy today?"

Neku smiled and shook his head. He knew what Beat meant of course. His being Composer wasn't really all that difficult. Maybe just a little distracting at times because at the back of his mind, he could still hear Shibuya whispering unintelligible murmurs. Unintelligible but pleased murmurs. Ultimately, everything was going well.

"Nope. Everything's good."

Beat reached out and poked his arm, making Neku look at him funny but allowing his friend until Beat was satisfied. It had only been a week and still Beat kept doing that whenever they saw each other, which was almost everyday. The siblings took a two-week vacation from their busy schedule to make sure he was alright. After that scare with the Dissonance and Neku's memories returning, they were worried enough that they fussed about him like a mother hen.

Well, it was mostly Beat and Shiki, Rhyme fussed in her own way and laughed at her brother's embarrassing, rough way of fussing.

As if nothing had changed.

Nothing _had_ changed.

Familiar faces popped up, one after another, in that little shop. Soon enough, as the hours grew late, so too did the crowd thin until all that was left were his friends, Beat, Shiki and Rhyme. They sat around the counter, watching Neku and laughing about their latest antics and whatnot. Neku listened to their voices with a half-ear, laughing in the appropriate times and offering a new cup of coffee every few times. It was a very peaceful late afternoon.

The skies were coloured orange and the sun about to set. Neku turned wistfully at the empty chair by the counter where Joshua would've sat had he lived. They were just memories now. Memories of the being together that may or may not have happened.

But then, did it matter?

It would keep him company when everyone had left.

Like a ghost in the back of his head.

He opened his mouth to say something about whatever it was that Beat said. But stopped when he thought he saw, Shibuya, the lady, in front of the shop for a moment.

The buzzing was back. But it wasn't unpleasant, just distracting and it didn't feel wrong. And she was smiling before suddenly disappearing. And the city hummed in anticipation.

Something was coming. He tried to reach out and ask the city but he only felt its secretive smile.

_You'll know soon._

Neku sighed, annoyed but relented. It would do no good to question Her after all. She will tell when the time comes. Although he hoped that the next time she says anything it wouldn't be so cryptic like the last time. But then that was Shibuya's charm in a way.

Shiki's and Rhyme's laughter cut through his thoughts and he turned to see Mr. Hanekoma approaching. The bell on the door chimed as he entered/

"Hey, Phones!" He greeted.

"Hello, Mr. H." He greeted, gesturing to the seat next to Shiki. "Come in and have a cup. My treat."

Hanekoma grinned. "Thanks, Phones." And he plopped down on the chair the he paused as Neku placed a cup of black coffee that Hanekoma sniffed and sighed, happily at. "Heavenly…" He remarked.

Neku smirked. "Of course! You'll be paying the next one though. You can't weasel your way into another one!" he joked. The coffee would still be in the house though.

Hanekoma smiled, embarrassed. "'Course! Still, it's very good. Just the way I like it!"

Neku laughed, pleased. "I'm glad then." He replied. "So what brings you here?"

Hanekoma looked at him mock-pitifully. "Can't I see my favorite Composer anytime I want?" He placed a hand on his heart and shook his head dramatically. Rhyme giggled at the sight. "I'm hurt! Very hurt, Phones…"

Shiki laughed outright then at how ridiculous he was acting. Hanekoma stood up and bowed to the ladies who clapped enthusiastically at his little performance. Then he turned to Neku once again with a knowing smile on his lips.

"Actually, I'm here on official business." He said.

Neku straightened up. Maybe this was what Shibuya was whispering about. He thought. Worried, he frowned at the angel. He half expected the Dissonance to suddenly appear again but he didn't _feel _anything at all out of place. He turned to his friends with a half-nervous smile. Shiki, Beat and Rhyme only grinned at him though and he knew they knew something.

"Something happened?" Neku asked, seriously.

Hanekoma merely shrugged, unconcerned.

"Something like that…" He replied.

Neku gritted his teeth. But before he could ask what it was, Hanekoma turned to the door.

"Oi!" he called out. "How long are you going to be standing there?"

Neku's eyes went wide in surprise when he saw the person who know entered the café with that familiar smirk on his lips. Mr. Hanekoma turned away with a grin on his lips, nursing his drink. The others in the café didn't need to see who it was. It was impossible not to know after all. After all, it was just normal in its bizarre kind of way.

"Bastard." Neku said, beaming at the figure standing in the doorway against the light.

It was understood.

* * *

**End**

* * *

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my fic and for being very patient with me. I'm sorry it took so long. I kept revising it. Hopefully this is enough. :) Thanks again!


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